St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School, Darwen

Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School 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 attend well."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders routinely check the impact of the school's ambitious curriculum on pupils."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders make sure that children secure the important foundations for future learning."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders get to know pupils and their families well."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Governors have an accurate view of the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a carefully structured personal, social and health education curriculum that supports all pupils well."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils have not secured the important foundations that they need in writing and mathematics well enough."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should make sure that staff design and select tasks that help pupils to consistently acquire the learning that they need"; "Leaders should embed the improvements they have made to the curriculum in writing and mathematics so that these improvements are reflected in pupils' achievement by the end of key stage 2"; "Leaders should embed the recent improvements to the teaching of handwriting so that pupils' handwriting becomes more consistent across the subjects that they study".

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 30% 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 70% in reading and 60% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 3 families put St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 3 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School are St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School (1.3 miles, Requires improvement, 55% reading, 69% maths); Abbey Village Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 80% reading, 90% maths); St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (1.4 miles, 77% reading, 70% maths); and Avondale Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 79% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School.

16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School (as of April 2026): 94% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

1.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%), Mixed (7%) and Black (5%).

In 2026, 12 pupils (21.4%) received SEN support and 4 (7.1%) 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.

St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School had 2 teachers in 2026, one for every 31 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Cherry Tree Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rock Inn (outside), 210 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Blackburn with Darwen (289).

In 2024/25, St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 3.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.