St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn, Blackburn
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Blackburn. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 49 schools in Blackburn with published results, and 2,822nd of 14,452 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Blackburn with Darwen (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn reached the expected standard in reading and 90% 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 64% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
For September 2026 entry, 43 families put St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn as their first choice and 109 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 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 James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn are Brookhouse Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 93% reading, 97% maths); St Michael With St John CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 81% maths); Cedars Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 93% maths); and Queen Elizabeth's Primary School (0.5 miles, 63% reading, 54% maths).
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Brookhouse Primary SchoolSt Michael With St John CofE Primary SchoolCedars Primary SchoolQueen Elizabeth's Primary School
Who goes there
97.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (89%) and other ethnic groups (5%).
In 2026, 84 pupils (21.3%) received SEN support and 8 (2%) 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.
Staffing
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn had 25 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackburn Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St James Church (outside), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 455 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
In 2024/25, St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn are Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (0.5 miles), Pleckgate High School (0.7 miles) and Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School (1.2 miles).
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar SchoolPleckgate High SchoolTauheedul Islam Girls' 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from April 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
21.8%
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 64% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 77% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.7
Avg class size
21.8
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James' Church of England 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
- 42
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 16
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 28 slight.
16 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 9 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 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 James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
Will you get a place at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James' Church of England 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 James' Church of England 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
89%
Available places
375 pupils
420 places
45 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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
84
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
23.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
395
Total Pupils
199
Boys
196
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
15.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,358
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,503
Per pupil
£2267k
Total funding
£112k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
20.2%
Persistent absence
336
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 James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
Questions parents ask about St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
What are SATs results like at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
Of the pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn's Ofsted rating?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
No fixed boundary. When St James' Church of England 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 James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
Classes at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn average 24.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn has around 395 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
6.6% of sessions were missed at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn in 2024/25. 20.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
Apply through Blackburn with Darwen's coordinated admissions process, naming St James' Church of England 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.
How many road collisions happen near St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 28 slight. 16 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 9 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 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 James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn is at Earl Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8EG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)