Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy, Darwen

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~751m)Possible (~1.1km)Unlikely (~1.4km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Rebecca Ham
Pupils:207 / 210 capacity
LA:Blackburn with Darwen
Phone:01254702996
Address:Knowlesly Road, Darwen, BB3 2JA
Trust:CIDARI EDUCATION LIMITED
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 October 2014

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 28 March 2023View full report
URN:141483
UKPRN:10047631
Diocese:Diocese of Blackburn
Constituency:Rossendale and Darwen
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2017 inspection — up from Requires Improvement.

Rated Good for

Leadership & management.

A plain-English summary of the full inspection report is coming soon.

At a Glance

8.7%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-13ppMaths+11ppWriting-9pp

Reading has declined from 87% to 74%. Maths has improved from 70% to 81%. Writing has declined from 80% to 71%.

Class Sizes

29.3

Avg class size

28.3

Infant (KS1)

30.0

KS2

7

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Knowlesly Road (by)
192m · 3 min walk
Knowlesley Road (by)
199m · 3 min walk
Rawlinson Street (by)
310m · 5 min walk
West Cemetery (o/s)
321m · 5 min walk
Queens Road (by)
373m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

99%

Near capacity

207 pupils

210 capacity

3 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Darwen

Low pressure
New homes approved:477
Projected new pupils:119

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Darwen

Admissions Demand - Blackburn with Darwen

Low demand0.79x oversubscription

Places available

2,356

Applications

1,866

Got 1st preference

90.9%

Got preferred school

98.3%

Primary admissions across Blackburn with Darwen (2025/26)

Inspection History(2)

28 March 2023
19 September 2017
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.64595%

Overall absence

5.61798%

Persistent absence

178

Enrolments

Authorised2.80075%
Unauthorised0.8452%
Persistent (10%+)5.61798%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

2.84862%
18/19
2.32317%
20/21
4.79817%
21/22
4.45298%
22/23
4.54664%
23/24
3.64595%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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