Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy, Burnley

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy on 6 areas: 3 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.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have created an inclusive culture in which staff are aware of the multiple barriers that pupils may face."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders place the wellbeing of pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, at the heart of each decision they make."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The personal development programme underpins leaders' vision of a community in which everyone belongs."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement is variable."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "While the rates of attendance for some groups, such as disadvantaged pupils, are improving, attendance rates overall remain below national averages."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of the curriculum and teaching is inconsistent."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure they further reduce rates of persistent absence, including for vulnerable pupils, to ensure that all pupils benefit fully from the personal development programme and academic curriculum, achieving better outcomes"; "Leaders should ensure that staff deliver the curriculum in line with leaders' expectations so that pupils are supported appropriately to develop detailed knowledge and skills and achieve well across all subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that assessment systems are embedded and used to help teachers identify where pupils need support to address gaps in their knowledge and make strong progress from their starting points"; "Leaders should ensure that consistently effective teaching leads to improved pupil achievement in GCSE examinations, particularly in English and mathematics, so that all pupils, including those with barriers to learning, are well prepared for their next stage in education or training".

In its own words: "To provide an excellent education, that nurtures all pupils' talents and inspires them to be the best they can be. We want our pupils to be confident, happy and respectful. We want them to be ambitious and to always do their best."

In 2026, pupils at Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

34% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is up from 37.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.32: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 28.3, against 46 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 17.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 248 families put Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 757 named it as one of their preferences, for 248 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy are Sir John Thursby Community College (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.3); Unity College (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 38); Marsden Heights Community College (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.5); and Burnley High School (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.9).

Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy is one of 18 schools run by Romero Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.

93 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy (as of April 2026): 68% would recommend the school, 66% say their child is happy there and 35% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (68%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (35%).

Of the 247 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 75% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Burnley Central Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blessed Trinity Coll (by), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 613 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy issued 534 suspensions, 41.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy are St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.2 miles); Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles); Heasandford Primary School (0.5 miles); and Burnley Springfield Community Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.