Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
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, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
Across Blackburn with Darwen, 79% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 94% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Blackburn with Darwen lodged 279 appeals against secondary school offers; 243 reached a hearing and 23 succeeded (9.5% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 155 | 106 | 195 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 144 | 96 | 189 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2024 | 166 | 103 | 239 | 0.6 | 2 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.