Shadsworth Junior School, Arran Avenue
Shadsworth Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Arran Avenue. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 32nd-highest of the 52 schools in Blackburn with Darwen with published results, and 9,396th of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Capacity
- 90% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Shadsworth Junior School in detail
Shadsworth Junior School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club, from £1 per day.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at Shadsworth Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Blackburn with Darwen and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (69% in reading, 71% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Shadsworth 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 Shadsworth Junior School are St Antony's RC Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 83% reading, 77% maths); Shadsworth Infant School (0.4 miles, Good); Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy (0.7 miles, 59% reading, 50% maths); and Audley Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 90% maths).
Shadsworth Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
St Antony's RC Primary SchoolShadsworth Infant SchoolKnuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary AcademyAudley Junior School
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Shadsworth Junior School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
63.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 92 pupils (42.8%) received SEN support and 19 (8.8%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackburn Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Largs Road (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Shadsworth Junior School 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, Shadsworth Junior School issued 15 suspensions, 6.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Shadsworth Junior School are Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles); and Blackburn Central High School (0.9 miles).
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary AcademyBlackburn Central High School
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 October 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: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Shadsworth Junior School creates a nurturing community where children feel they belong and matter. The school excels at teaching reading with skilled staff who help all pupils become confident readers. Teachers have high expectations and pupils respond by working hard and being eager to learn - making it a calm, purposeful place where every child, including those with additional needs, can thrive.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading - pupils become confident and fluent readers with skilled support for those who struggle
- Pupils with SEND are quickly identified and well-supported, helping them feel included and achieve well
- Clear curriculum with identified key knowledge and skills, with regular checks on learning in most subjects
- Excellent pupil well-being and positive behaviour routines firmly established
- Rich enrichment opportunities through visits to theatres, universities and museums
Areas for Improvement
- Writing curriculum needs strengthening - some pupils not supported well enough to develop key skills like sentence formation and accurate spelling
- A minority of subjects have checks on pupil learning that are still developing, meaning gaps in understanding sometimes go unaddressed
- Writing fluency and quality of written communication needs improvement, especially for younger pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff vigilant in protecting pupils and creating an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Art club, netball, judo, choir, school pet dog, prefects, play leaders, subject ambassadors
Shadsworth Junior School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection. Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and achieve well across most subjects in this calm, purposeful learning environment.
At a Glance
63.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 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 remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 71% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 69% to 64% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.9
Avg class size
26.9
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Shadsworth Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Shadsworth Junior School.
- School's Out Holiday SquadAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Shadsworth Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shadsworth 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
6 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
90%
Near capacity
217 pupils
240 places
23 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Arran Avenue
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Arran Avenue
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.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
92
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
51.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
215
Total Pupils
120
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,257
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,515
Per pupil
£1683k
Total funding
£188k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.1%
Overall absence
25.5%
Persistent absence
231
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
Shadsworth Junior School
Questions parents ask about Shadsworth Junior School
What are SATs results like at Shadsworth Junior School?
Of the pupils at Shadsworth Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Shadsworth Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Shadsworth Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Shadsworth Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Shadsworth Junior 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 Shadsworth Junior School?
Shadsworth Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 240 places.
How big are the classes at Shadsworth Junior School?
Classes at Shadsworth Junior School average 26.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Shadsworth Junior School?
Shadsworth Junior School has around 215 pupils on roll. 64% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Shadsworth Junior School?
7.1% of sessions were missed at Shadsworth Junior School in 2024/25. 25.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shadsworth Junior School?
Apply through Blackburn with Darwen's coordinated admissions process, naming Shadsworth Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Shadsworth 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). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Shadsworth Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 6 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 Shadsworth Junior School?
Shadsworth Junior School is at Blackburn With Darwen, Arran Avenue, Lancashire, BB1 2ET.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)