Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Blackburn
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Blackburn. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 30th-highest of the 49 schools in Blackburn with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 85% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in detail
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Hello and a warm welcome to St Bartholomew's! We're so pleased you've found us. Our Church of England school is a happy, caring place where every child is encouraged to shine and discover their unique talents. At St Bartholomew's, learning is exciting and fun. We want our children to feel safe, valued and inspired every single day."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School - we are delighted that you are taking the time to learn more about our wonderful school. I am incredibly proud to share our school community with you and to offer a glimpse into the rich opportunities and experiences we provide for our children."
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 9.30am, an open evening on Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 5pm and an open evening on Monday 30 November 2026 at 9am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Lancashire
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 86% in reading and 86% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 57 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School are St Hubert's Roman Catholic Primary School, Great Harwood (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths); Great Harwood Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 61% reading, 82% maths); St Wulstan's Roman Catholic Primary School, Great Harwood (0.5 miles, Good, 55% reading, 36% maths); and Great Harwood St John's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 56% reading, 56% maths).
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Hubert's Roman Catholic Primary School, Great HarwoodGreat Harwood Primary SchoolSt Wulstan's Roman Catholic Primary School, Great HarwoodGreat Harwood St John's Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
9.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Asian (8%).
In 2026, 50 pupils (27.8%) received SEN support and 14 (7.8%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rishton Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lowerfold (by), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
32.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 86% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 86% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 82% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.5
Avg class size
19.7
Infant (KS1)
26.3
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.
- PALS- St Wulstan's Primary School710m away · Not yet graded
- PALS- St Hubert's Primary School730m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 17 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Will you get a place at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
85%
Available places
169 pupils
199 places
30 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Blackburn
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Blackburn
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
35.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
180
Total Pupils
92
Boys
88
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
22.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,065
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,643
Per pupil
£1039k
Total funding
£74k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
9.4%
Persistent absence
160
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Questions parents ask about Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
What are SATs results like at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Of the pupils at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 199 places.
How big are the classes at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Classes at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School average 22.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has around 180 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in 2024/25. 9.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: PALS- St Wulstan's Primary School (710m away, registered, not yet graded) and PALS- St Hubert's Primary School (730m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 17 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Ash Street, Great Harwood, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB6 7QA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)