Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy, Blackburn
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Blackburn, part of Romero Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 10th-highest of the 10 schools in Blackburn with published results, and 3,016th of 3,298 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Blackburn with Darwen (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.2 in Blackburn with Darwen and 47 across England.
25% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Blackburn with Darwen and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 37.2.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.3, against 41.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 106 families put Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 195 named it as one of their preferences, for 155 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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy are Blackburn Central High School (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41); Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School (1.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 62.6); St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.8); and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.3).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy.
Blackburn Central High SchoolTauheedul Islam Boys' High SchoolSt Wilfrid's Church of England AcademyQueen Elizabeth's Grammar School
The trust
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is one of 18 schools run by Romero Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
47.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 38.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (44%) and Asian (27%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackburn Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Our Lady and St John RCHS (adjacent), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy issued 831 suspensions, 102.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 10 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy are St Antony's RC Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Shadsworth Junior School (0.3 miles), Shadsworth Infant School (0.3 miles) and Audley Infant School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Antony's RC Primary SchoolShadsworth Junior SchoolShadsworth Infant SchoolAudley Infant School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in December 2023. Before that, as Our Lady and St John Catholic College (URN 119790), it was rated Requires Improvement in May 2023.
At a Glance
47.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Attainment 8 has declined from 37.2 to 36.6 (2025 to 2026), while gCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 25% (2025 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 36.6 | 24.7% |
| Disadvantaged(66) | - | 30.3 | 13.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(80) | - | 41.9 | 33.8% |
| Boys(65) | - | 35.0 | 24.6% |
| Girls(81) | - | 37.9 | 24.7% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(54) | - | 44.2 | 35.2% |
| Non mobile(135) | - | 37.2 | 25.9% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
Exclusions & Suspensions
10
Permanent exclusions
1.23%
Exclusion rate
831
Suspensions
102.34%
Suspension rate
151 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 812 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
8 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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy.
- 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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy for 2024 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
90%
Near capacity
811 pupils
900 places
89 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 Blackburn with Darwen council
Places available
2,284
Applications
2,116
Got 1st preference
78.9%
Got preferred school
94.1%
All secondary applications across Blackburn with Darwen council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
135
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
20.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
770
Total Pupils
387
Boys
383
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
45
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,393
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,067
Per pupil
£7057k
Total funding
£405k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.8%
Overall absence
40.5%
Persistent absence
864
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
What are GCSE results like at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 36.6. 25% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in December 2023. Before that, as Our Lady and St John Catholic College (URN 119790), it was rated Requires Improvement in May 2023.
What is the catchment area for Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy 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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 900 places.
How big are the classes at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Classes at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy average 24.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy has around 770 pupils on roll. 48% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
13.8% of sessions were missed at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 40.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Blackburn with Darwen's coordinated admissions process, naming Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 8 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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is at North Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1PY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)