Lower Darwen Primary School, Darwen
Lower Darwen Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Darwen. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 14 schools in Darwen with published results, and 13,535th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Blackburn with Darwen (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lower Darwen Primary School in detail
Lower Darwen Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and Lego.
The school runs after-school care, from £8.50 per session.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils at Lower Darwen Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 53% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Blackburn with Darwen and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 44% in reading and 54% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Lower Darwen Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put Lower Darwen Primary School as their first choice and 84 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Lower Darwen Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lower Darwen Primary School are St James' Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 68% reading, 61% maths); Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 89% maths); St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles, 77% reading, 70% maths); and Longshaw Infant School (0.8 miles, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Lower Darwen Primary School.
St James' Church of England Primary SchoolOur Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School BlackburnSt Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyLongshaw Infant School
Who goes there
8.4% 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%), Asian (7%) and Mixed (6%).
Lower Darwen Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 20 places, 13 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Darwen Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Greenbank Terrace (by), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 124 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Blackburn with Darwen (289).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lower Darwen Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lower Darwen Primary School are Darwen Vale High School (0.3 miles), Aldridge UTC Darwen (1.6 miles) and Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (1.8 miles).
Darwen Vale High SchoolAldridge UTC DarwenDarwen Aldridge Community Academy
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
20.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Hearing
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 44% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 53% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 51% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.4
Avg class size
26.2
Infant (KS1)
28.4
KS2
13
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Lower Darwen Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lower Darwen Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lower Darwen Primary School is in Blackburn with Darwen; for families living there:
Apply to Blackburn with Darwen for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
4 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 Blackburn with Darwen is 24 (the median across 89 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
Your chances of a place at Lower Darwen Primary School
Will you get a place at Lower Darwen Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lower Darwen Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lower Darwen Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lower Darwen Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Blackburn with Darwen, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lower Darwen Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Blackburn with Darwen 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
93%
Near capacity
389 pupils
420 places
31 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Darwen
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Darwen
Across Blackburn with Darwen council
Places available
2,256
Applications
1,926
Got 1st preference
89.3%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All primary applications across Blackburn with Darwen council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
69
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
22.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Lower Darwen Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 20 places, 13 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
382
Total Pupils
187
Boys
195
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
21.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,343
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,178
Per pupil
£2196k
Total funding
£94k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.2%
Overall absence
15.1%
Persistent absence
352
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
Lower Darwen Primary School
Questions parents ask about Lower Darwen Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lower Darwen Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lower Darwen Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 58% reached the expected standard in reading and 53% did so in maths.
What is Lower Darwen Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lower Darwen Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023.
What is the catchment area for Lower Darwen Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lower Darwen Primary School is oversubscribed, Blackburn with Darwen allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lower Darwen Primary School?
Lower Darwen Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Lower Darwen Primary School?
Classes at Lower Darwen Primary School average 27.4 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Lower Darwen Primary School?
Lower Darwen Primary School has around 382 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Lower Darwen Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Lower Darwen Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 20 places, 13 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Lower Darwen Primary School?
6.2% of sessions were missed at Lower Darwen Primary School in 2024/25. 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lower Darwen Primary School?
Apply through Blackburn with Darwen's coordinated admissions process, naming Lower Darwen 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.
How many road collisions happen near Lower Darwen Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 4 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 Blackburn with Darwen is 24 (the median across 89 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lower Darwen Primary School?
Lower Darwen Primary School is at Milking Lane, Lower Darwen, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0RB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)