Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, Swadlincote

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "There have been many unavoidable changes in staffing and leadership at the school in recent years."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children get off to a positive start in the early years."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Recently appointed school leaders have got to know the school quickly."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "All pupils benefit from a well-organised personal development offer."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement, as reflected in national assessments at the end of key stage 2, is variable and, in some areas, not high enough."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Too many pupils miss too much school."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Although quickly improving, support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has been inconsistent."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to ensure that the plans for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are consistently specific and used to check how well these pupils achieve"; "Leaders should ensure that the pupil premium strategy sets out how the impact of the actions taken will be measured. They should ensure that all staff understand their role within the strategy"; "Leaders should continue to raise achievement in mathematics so that pupils do at least as well as pupils nationally"; "Leaders should ensure that the achievement of disadvantaged pupils improves so that it is not significantly different to that seen nationally"; "Leaders should continue to tackle absences so that attendance rates are closer to national averages"; "Leaders should continue to address, where appropriate, parental concerns about communication and how well they are included in the day-to-day life of the school".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Learn more about Blackfordby Primary Schools history, values, and commitment to providing an inspiring education for all pupils. At Blackfordby Primary School, we are proud to be a small, nurturing village school at the heart of our community."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, gymnastics and dance.

The school runs a breakfast club, from £4.00 per session.

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 40% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Leicestershire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 60% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 46 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School are Moira Primary School (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, 81% reading, 77% maths); Three Trees CofE Junior Academy (1 mile, 60% reading, 64% maths); Three Trees Infant Academy (1 mile); and Ashby Hastings Primary School (1.3 miles, Good).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School.

Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is one of 26 schools run by Rise Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

15.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 8 pupils (9.3%) received SEN support and 3 (3.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heath Lane (northbound), 210 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 33 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58).

In 2024/25, Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School issued 29 suspensions, 29 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.