St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn, Blackburn
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Blackburn. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 39th-highest of the 49 schools in Blackburn with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. It was 74% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- 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
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn in detail
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include STEM, cooking and art.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn reached the expected standard in reading and 66% 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 52% 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 St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn as their first choice and 33 named it as one of their preferences, for 19 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 St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn are St Michael With St John CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 83% reading, 81% maths); Daisyfield Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 95% reading, 85% maths); Brookhouse Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 93% reading, 97% maths); and St Matthew's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 61% reading, 61% maths).
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Michael With St John CofE Primary SchoolDaisyfield Primary SchoolBrookhouse Primary SchoolSt Matthew's Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
41.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 41.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (44%), White British (29%) and other ethnic groups (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackburn Rail Station, about 720 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Trinity Street, 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 523 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Blackburn with Darwen (289), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn are Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (0.9 miles); Blackburn Central High School (1 mile); Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (1.1 miles); and Pleckgate High School (1.2 miles).
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar SchoolBlackburn Central High SchoolOur Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary AcademyPleckgate High School
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
St Alban's is a warm and friendly school where everyone is welcome. The secure relationships that pupils have with the nurturing staff help them to feel happy, safe and well cared for. Pupils are confident to talk to a trusted adult if they have any worries. They know that adults will listen to them and will support them to resolve their concerns.
Pupils, including children in the early years, are kind and courteous to staff and to each other. Pupils behave well in lessons and enjoy positive interactions with their friends during playtimes and lunchtimes.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has strengthened its curriculum since the last inspection. Pupils benefit from a rich curriculum that identifies clearly what pupils should learn from the early years to Year 6. The school has considered the workload and well-being of staff when making these curriculum changes. Staff have secure subject and pedagogical knowledge. They present new information to pupils clearly and design activities that help pupils to learn the intended knowledge. Pupils progress well through the curriculum from their starting points.
The school makes checks on learning to identify how well pupils understand and retain the knowledge that has been taught. However, in some subjects, these assessment practices are still being refined. In these subjects, checks on pupils' learning are not effective enough in identifying gaps in pupils' learning, to inform future teaching.
From Ofsted's September 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its November 2022 inspection - down from Good.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement), Early years (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
41.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 52% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 62% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 62% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
17.3
Avg class size
13.7
Infant (KS1)
23.8
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Before and after school care
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Blackburn with Darwen
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn 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
- 58
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 23
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 58 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 23 serious and 35 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Will you get a place at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn.
- 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 St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
74%
Available places
156 pupils
210 places
54 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
2,256
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(11)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
23.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
154
Total Pupils
71
Boys
83
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,035
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,560
Per pupil
£1168k
Total funding
£83k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
20.3%
Persistent absence
158
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
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Questions parents ask about St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
What are SATs results like at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
Of the pupils at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn's Ofsted rating?
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
No fixed boundary. When St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn 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 St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn was not full in 2025: it ran at 74% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
Classes at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn average 17.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn has around 154 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
6.6% of sessions were missed at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn in 2024/25. 20.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
Apply through Blackburn with Darwen's coordinated admissions process, naming St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn 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.
Does St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 58 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 23 serious and 35 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn is at Trinity Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5BN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)