St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn, Blackburn

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils feel a sense of belonging at the school and most attend regularly."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Since the previous inspection, leaders have renewed their focus on improving the curriculum to make sure that it is broad and balanced."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed an effective curriculum that gives children a secure start to their early education."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders strive to include pupils in all aspects of the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders act in the best interests of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school has adopted a suitable personal development programme."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils do not develop their writing skills securely."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff deliver the curriculum consistently well and that, when needed, they successfully adapt teaching to enable all pupils to learn as effectively as they can"; "Leaders should support staff in using their checks on learning more precisely to identify and address any gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge"; "Leaders should ensure that their approaches to raising pupils' attainment in writing improve pupils' foundational knowledge of grammar and spelling and the quality of their writing over time".

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are an active and welcoming school, with lots going on. St Anne's is committed to providing equal opportunities for all of our children and continuing to develop an inclusive school, respecting the qualities that each child has to offer."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn reached the expected standard in reading and 83% 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 63% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 23 families put St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn as their first choice and 47 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn are St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 82% reading, 85% maths); St Michael With St John CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 81% maths); Queen Elizabeth's Primary School (0.5 miles, 63% reading, 54% maths); and St Matthew's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 61% reading, 61% maths).

St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (96%).

48.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 63.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (26%), Asian (21%) and Black (20%).

In 2026, 20 pupils (9.3%) received SEN support and 14 (6.5%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Blackburn Rail Station, about 490 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).

18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barton Street (by), 90 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 626 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.

St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

The secondary schools closest to St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn are Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School (0.4 miles), St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy (0.5 miles), Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (0.5 miles) and Blackburn Central High School (0.9 miles).