Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy, Blackburn
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Blackburn, part of Wensley Fold Church of England Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 49 schools in Blackburn with published results, and 1,154th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Blackburn with Darwen (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 93% 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 77% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 85 families put Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy as their first choice and 193 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 28 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy are St Silas's CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 69% reading, 67% maths); Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn (0.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 63% maths); The Olive School, Blackburn (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 98% reading, 99% maths); and Griffin Park Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 89% maths).
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Silas's CofE Primary SchoolSacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School BlackburnThe Olive School, BlackburnGriffin Park Primary School
The trust
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Who goes there
10.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 95.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Mill Hill (Lancs) Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Livingstone Road (by), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy issued 2 suspensions, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy are Witton Park Academy (0.4 miles), Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School (0.5 miles), Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (0.6 miles) and St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy (0.7 miles).
Witton Park AcademyTauheedul Islam Girls' High SchoolQueen Elizabeth's Grammar SchoolSt Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
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; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
10.4%
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 77% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.9
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.1
KS2
15
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy.
- Grade Booster Tuition Centre550m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy 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
- 38
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 27 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy.
- 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 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy 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
101%
Over capacity
422 pupils
420 places
2 pupils over capacity 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
65
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
18.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
463
Total Pupils
230
Boys
233
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
25.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,198
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,055
Per pupil
£2312k
Total funding
£71k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
3.9%
Persistent absence
362
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
Questions parents ask about Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023.
What is the catchment area for Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy 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 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
Classes at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy average 30.9 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy has around 463 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy in 2024/25. 3.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
Apply through Blackburn with Darwen's coordinated admissions process, naming Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy 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.
Does Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy: Grade Booster Tuition Centre (550m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 27 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is at Manor Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6LX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)