St Matthew's Church of England Primary School, Blackburn

Ofsted's report card from its 6 January 2026 inspection grades St Matthew's Church of England Primary School on 7 areas: 3 expected standard and 4 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. "Through close monitoring and analysis, leaders have improved attendance year on year to ensure that it is now in line with or above national averages."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is generally well structured and ambitious, with clear progression and end points in each subject that build on prior learning."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school provides a broad and coherent programme of personal development that pupils, including those with barriers to learning, benefit from."

Achievement - Needs attention. "While many pupils achieve well, a significant number do not attain outcomes in key stage 2 that match national averages."

Early years - Needs attention. "Delivery of the early years curriculum is inconsistent."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Although leaders recognise the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers, they are too slow to determine the precise support required for each pupil and to put effective provision into place."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders' actions to tackle low attainment in all phases has lacked the precision needed to bring about rapid improvements."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should develop a more accurate process for identifying pupils with additional barriers and how best to reduce them. They should use their assessment outcomes and external advice to inform high‑quality support plans that staff can use effectively to improve learning for pupils with additional needs. • Leaders should strengthen provision and address gaps in pupils' learning so that every pupil, including those in the early years, develop secure knowledge in communication and language, reading, writing and mathematics. • Governors and leaders should establish a consistent culture of high expectations across all key stages and strengthen their monitoring of teaching to ensure it leads to improved outcomes for all pupils".

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am proud to be the Headteacher of this popular and successful school, working with a dedicated staff team and eager, vibrant children. We work in close partnership with parents, school governors and the local community, as well as having strong links with Christ Church, our local parish church."

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils at St Matthew's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 61% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Blackburn with Darwen and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 67% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 30 families put St Matthew's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 76 named it as one of their preferences, for 35 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 Matthew's Church of England Primary School are Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 78% reading, 87% maths); Audley Infant School (0.4 miles, Good); Audley Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 90% maths); and St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 87% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Matthew's Church of England Primary School.

39.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 96.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (83%), other ethnic groups (7%) and Mixed (5%).

In 2026, 48 pupils (18.6%) received SEN support and 17 (6.6%) 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 390 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Brunel Drive (opposite), 160 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Matthew's Church of England Primary School 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 646 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.

In 2024/25, St Matthew's Church of England Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Matthew's Church of England Primary School are Blackburn Central High School (0.5 miles); Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School (0.7 miles); Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (0.8 miles); and St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy (0.9 miles).