St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy, Blackburn

In its own words: "As a Church of England Academy, the Christian Ethos, Vision and Values filter through each and every aspect of our lives. We have been described as providing "a distinctively Christian environment in which all students and staff, from whatever background, are supported and encouraged to flourish and be the best they can be" (SIAMs Report 2016)."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, dance, drama, choir, chess, coding, STEM and Duke of Edinburgh.

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.2 in Blackburn with Darwen and 47 across England.

58% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Blackburn with Darwen and 47% in England.

That is down from 50.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.19: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 39.1, against 54.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 293 families put St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy as their first choice and 884 named it as one of their preferences, for 252 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 77 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy are Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 62.6); Witton Park Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.9); Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.3); and Blackburn Central High School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 41).

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Of the 254 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 45% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 95 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 60% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 16% into work. 15% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

In 2026, 116 pupils (7.8%) received SEN support and 27 (1.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy has a resourced provision for hearing impairment.

The nearest railway station is Mill Hill (Lancs) Rail Station, about 930 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Wilfrids School (opposite), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy 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 615 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 Wilfrid's Church of England Academy issued 161 suspensions, 10.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy are St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles), St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.3 miles), Griffin Park Primary School (0.4 miles) and St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.