Meadowhead Junior School, Blackburn
Meadowhead Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Blackburn. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 44th-highest of the 49 schools in Blackburn with published results, and 13,133rd of 14,452 across England. It was 59% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Capacity
- 59% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Meadowhead Junior School in detail
Meadowhead Junior School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at Meadowhead Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 57% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Blackburn with Darwen and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 67% in reading and 62% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Meadowhead Junior School
Across Blackburn with Darwen, 89% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Blackburn with Darwen lodged 73 appeals against primary school offers; 63 reached a hearing and 15 succeeded (23.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Meadowhead Junior School are Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery (0.1 miles, Good); St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 38% reading, 50% maths); St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Blackburn (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 68% maths); and Livesey Saint Francis' Church of England School (0.8 miles, Good, 73% reading, 80% maths).
Meadowhead Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Meadowhead Community Infant School and NurserySt Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England AcademySt Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, BlackburnLivesey Saint Francis' Church of England School
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Meadowhead Junior School (as of September 2025): 70% would recommend the school, 80% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (80%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
61.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 47 pupils (23.4%) received SEN support and 14 (7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Mill Hill (Lancs) Rail Station, about 750 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kings Road Full View (by), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Meadowhead Junior School issued 7 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Meadowhead Junior School are St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn (0.4 miles); and Witton Park Academy (0.9 miles).
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, BlackburnWitton Park Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Meadowhead Junior School is a warm, welcoming environment where children feel safe and supported. The school has strong systems in place for reading and provides excellent support for pupils with additional needs, ensuring they learn alongside their classmates. Children benefit from a calm classroom atmosphere, improved behaviour support, and a range of clubs and activities that help them build confidence and teamwork skills.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with consistent support for pupils who find it difficult - books are central to the curriculum and pupils show enthusiasm for reading
- Effective support for pupils with SEND, whose additional needs are identified quickly and accommodated well within mainstream classrooms
- Improved behaviour policy implemented this year has led to notable improvements in pupils' conduct and emotional management
- Varied extra-curricular offer and opportunities for pupils to take on roles and responsibilities, building teamwork and confidence
- Nurturing school environment where pupils and staff share a strong sense of belonging
Areas for Improvement
- Several pupils have gaps in their knowledge from weaknesses in the previous curriculum, meaning they are not as well prepared for the next stage of education as they should be
- Pupils' attendance rates remain high despite school efforts to track and support families, with many pupils regularly absent and missing learning opportunities
- Assessment strategies need to be used more accurately by teachers to identify and address gaps in pupils' learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, crafts, music, after-school sports events
Meadowhead Junior School is a nurturing school where pupils feel happy and safe, with staff creating a calm learning environment. However, some aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the previous inspection, with gaps in pupils' knowledge in some subjects and concerns about attendance rates.
At a Glance
61.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 67% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 62% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 58% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.8
Avg class size
24.8
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Meadowhead Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Meadowhead Junior School.
- School's Out Holiday SquadAt the school · Not yet graded
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Meadowhead Junior School, with their latest published grades:
- Livesey Children's Centre - Pre-school, 0.3 milesOfsted, 13 June 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Greenview Nursery - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 7 February 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Tudor House Day Nursery @ Mill Hill - Day nursery, 0.4 milesOfsted, 30 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Kids Planet Nook Barn - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 15 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Cherry Tree Preschool Playgroup - Pre-school, 0.6 milesOfsted, 9 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Meadowhead Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Meadowhead Junior 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
59%
Available places
211 pupils
360 places
149 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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.
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Blackburn West Primary planning area (Blackburn with Darwen) will have 406 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
30.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
201
Total Pupils
96
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,000
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,623
Per pupil
£1736k
Total funding
£209k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
23.1%
Persistent absence
242
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
Meadowhead Junior School
Questions parents ask about Meadowhead Junior School
What are SATs results like at Meadowhead Junior School?
Of the pupils at Meadowhead Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 57% did so in maths.
What is Meadowhead Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Meadowhead Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in September 2019, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Meadowhead Junior School?
Meadowhead Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 59% of its 360 places.
How big are the classes at Meadowhead Junior School?
Classes at Meadowhead Junior School average 24.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Meadowhead Junior School?
Meadowhead Junior School has around 201 pupils on roll. 61% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Meadowhead Junior School?
6.9% of sessions were missed at Meadowhead Junior School in 2024/25. 23.1% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does Meadowhead Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: School's Out Holiday Squad (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Meadowhead Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Meadowhead Junior School?
Meadowhead Junior School is at Anglesey Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4QG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)