St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School, Darwen
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This is a warm, caring school where every child feels they belong. Staff know pupils and families well and provide tailored support so children with additional needs make swift progress. The school offers a rich curriculum with excellent reading and phonics teaching, plus wonderful experiences like residential trips, community service and visits from inspirational speakers that help prepare pupils for life beyond school.
Key Strengths
- Strong behaviour, attendance and positive school culture where pupils feel safe and valued
- Well-taught reading and phonics curriculum with rapidly improving fluency across the school
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND and those facing disadvantage, with tailored help and swift progress
- Rich opportunities for personal development including clubs, visits, residential trips and community involvement
- Calm, structured early years setting where children quickly develop foundations for learning
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils' achievement in writing and mathematics lags behind recent curriculum improvements, particularly for older pupils with gaps from previous learning
- Handwriting remains inconsistent across the school despite recent improvements to teaching
- Some pupils given tasks that don't help them secure important learning, despite overall well-taught curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, sewing club, ethos council, school council, mini police, eco council, inspirational visitor meetings, residential visits, community service activities, hospital singing visits
St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School is a small primary school where pupils feel they belong and are cared for. The school has recently made ambitious improvements to its curriculum, particularly in reading and phonics, though achievement in writing and mathematics still lags behind these positive changes.
At a Glance
17.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 70% to 60%. Maths has declined from 60% to 30%. Writing has declined from 50% to 10%.
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
2
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
80%
Available places
56 pupils
70 capacity
14 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Darwen
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Darwen
Admissions Demand - Blackburn with Darwen
Places available
2,356
Applications
1,866
Got 1st preference
90.9%
Got preferred school
98.3%
Primary admissions across Blackburn with Darwen (2025/26)
Inspection History(11)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.93045%
Overall absence
13.7931%
Persistent absence
58
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
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St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School
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