St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, Blackburn
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Blackburn, part of Romero Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy in detail
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I would like to welcome you to St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School. Our school is founded in the Catholic faith, and all our actions reflect our belief that every child is a gift created in the image of our God. There is a real family atmosphere at St Charles' of which we are very proud."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2026, as St Charles' RC School (URN 119650), 68% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 61 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy are Rishton Methodist Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); Rishton St Peter and St Paul's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 60% reading, 80% maths); Great Harwood St John's Church of England Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 56% reading, 56% maths); and St Wulstan's Roman Catholic Primary School, Great Harwood (1.2 miles, Good, 55% reading, 36% maths).
Rishton Methodist Primary SchoolRishton St Peter and St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolGreat Harwood St John's Church of England Primary SchoolSt Wulstan's Roman Catholic Primary School, Great Harwood
The trust
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is one of 18 schools run by Romero Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rishton Rail Station, about 250 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Station Road (by), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 47 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2026. Before that, as St Charles' RC School (URN 119650), it was rated Good in January 2012.
At a Glance
17.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
32.2
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
33.7
KS2
5
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
Results at St Charles' RC School before it took its current form in 2026 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published for St Charles' RC School (URN 119650), the school St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy replaced. There are no figures for St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 76% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 72% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 72% to 68% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy.
- Play And Learn Scheme- St CharlesAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 27
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 18 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
5 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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 Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire 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
77%
Available places
161 pupils
210 places
49 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Blackburn
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Blackburn
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
21.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
161
Total Pupils
86
Boys
75
Girls
2026 academic year
Absence at St Charles' RC School before it took its current form in 20262024/25
Published for St Charles' RC School (URN 119650), the school St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy replaced. There are no figures for St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
5.0%
Overall absence
10.4%
Persistent absence
135
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 Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Are there exam results for St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2026, as St Charles' RC School (URN 119650), 68% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2026. Before that, as St Charles' RC School (URN 119650), it was rated Good in January 2012.
What is the catchment area for St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How big are the classes at St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy average 32.2 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has around 161 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy 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 Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Play And Learn Scheme- St Charles (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 St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 18 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 5 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Knowles Street, Rishton, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 4HT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)