Education in Blackburn with Darwen
Unitary authorityThe north east of the North West. 163,801 people in 137 square kilometres.
2 layers about education for Blackburn with Darwen, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source.
Schools by council
Worked out by Open Index · 2026
Under 25250 or more
Blackburn with Darwen had 89 open schools in 2026, from nurseries to sixth form colleges.
Number of schools
CouncilGreat Britain only89
Worked out by Open Index · 2026
Blackburn with Darwen had 89 open schools in 2026, from nurseries to sixth form colleges.
Worked out by Open Index from the school lists of the Department for Education, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government.
Schools
Exact pointGreat Britain onlyPublished as points, so there is no single figure for Blackburn with Darwen. The map shows each one.
Schools in Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen has 89 open schools: 4 nursery, 56 primary, 12 secondary, 5 special, 1 sixth form and further education, 9 independent and 2 pupil referral and alternative provision.
- Outstanding
- 4
- Good
- 14
- Requires improvement
- 2
- Inadequate
- 0
20 of the 77 schools in Ofsted's file have an overall grade from a graded inspection between September 2019 and July 2024.
16 schools have a report card from the renewed framework (from November 2025), which gives no overall grade.
14 schools had a graded inspection from September 2024, when Ofsted stopped giving an overall grade.
Ofsted says grades from different frameworks can't be compared, and an old grade may not describe a school today. Latest inspections as at 30 September 2026.
Schools rated Outstanding in Blackburn with Darwen
4 schools had Outstanding as the overall grade at their latest graded inspection, which is the date given. A later ungraded inspection, shown in the table, may say more.
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy (September 2023), Pleckgate High School (June 2024), Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School (March 2024), Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School (October 2022).
Nursery (4)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashworth Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 3 to 4 | 71 | Report card, May 2026: safeguarding met |
| Brunel Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 3 to 4 | 34 | Report card, May 2026: safeguarding met |
| Longshaw Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 2 to 5 | 101 | School remains Good, April 2024 |
| Turncroft Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 3 to 4 | 58 | Standards maintained, May 2025 |
Primary (56)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashleigh Primary School | Foundation school | 4 to 11 | 220 | School remains Good, March 2023 |
| Audley Infant School | Community school | 3 to 7 | 280 | School remains Good, February 2024 |
| Audley Junior School | Community school | 7 to 11 | 392 | School remains Good, September 2022 |
| Avondale Primary School | Community school | 4 to 11 | 400 | School remains Good, July 2023 |
| Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School | Voluntary controlled school | 3 to 11 | 464 | School remains Good, February 2024 |
| Blackburn the Redeemer CofE Primary | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 416 | Graded inspection, December 2024: no overall grade |
| Brookhouse Primary School | Community school | 2 to 11 | 247 | School remains Good, October 2022 |
| Cedars Primary School | Community school | 3 to 11 | 407 | Standards maintained, February 2025Good (overall), November 2019 |
| Daisyfield Primary School | Community school | 3 to 11 | 292 | Good (overall), October 2023 |
| Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 167 | Report card, March 2026: safeguarding met |
| Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 203 | Graded inspection, July 2025: no overall grade |
| Darwen St Peter's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 240 | Report card, May 2026: safeguarding met |
| Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 207 | School remains Good, March 2023 |
| Feniscowles Primary School | Community school | 4 to 11 | 417 | School remains Good, March 2023 |
| Griffin Park Primary School | Community school | 3 to 11 | 232 | Report card, June 2026: safeguarding met |
| Hoddlesden St Paul's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 3 to 11 | 237 | Graded inspection, December 2024: no overall grade |
| Holy Souls Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 3 to 11 | 189 | Good (overall), February 2023 |
| Holy Trinity VC School | Voluntary controlled school | 4 to 11 | 119 | Graded inspection, March 2025: no overall grade |
| Intack Primary School | Community school | 3 to 11 | 378 | School remains Good, June 2022 |
| Lammack Primary School | Community school | 4 to 11 | 548 | School remains Good, September 2022 |
| Livesey Saint Francis' Church of England School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 173 | Good (overall), July 2023 |
| Longshaw Community Junior School | Community school | 7 to 11 | 334 | School remains Good, November 2022 |
| Longshaw Infant School | Community school | 4 to 7 | 203 | Report card, January 2026: safeguarding met |
| Lower Darwen Primary School | Community school | 4 to 11 | 382 | Good (overall), March 2023 |
| Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery | Community school | 3 to 7 | 169 | School remains Good, December 2022 |
| Meadowhead Junior School | Community school | 7 to 11 | 201 | Some aspects not as strong, January 2025Good (overall), September 2019 |
| Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 180 | Report card, May 2026: safeguarding met |
| Queen Elizabeth's Primary School | Free schools | 4 to 11 | 387 | Report card, June 2026: safeguarding met |
| Roe Lee Park Primary School | Community school | 3 to 11 | 424 | School remains Good, February 2023 |
| Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 173 | Report card, November 2025: safeguarding met |
| Shadsworth Infant School | Community school | 3 to 11 | 196 | Graded inspection, March 2025: no overall grade |
| Shadsworth Junior School | Community school | 7 to 11 | 215 | Standards maintained, January 2025Good (overall), October 2019 |
| St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy | Academy sponsor led | 4 to 11 | 182 | Graded inspection, February 2025: no overall grade |
| St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 3 to 11 | 154 | Graded inspection, September 2024: no overall grade |
| St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 3 to 11 | 214 | Report card, January 2026: safeguarding met |
| St Antony's RC Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 3 to 11 | 236 | Standards maintained, November 2024 |
| St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 419 | Good (overall), July 2024 |
| St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 184 | Requires improvement (overall), May 2024 |
| St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 198 | School remains Good, January 2020 |
| St Gabriel's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 5 to 11 | 212 | Good (overall), April 2024 |
| St James' Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 202 | Graded inspection, October 2024: no overall grade |
| St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 2 to 11 | 395 | School remains Good, December 2022 |
| St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Darwen | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 165 | Standards maintained, January 2025 |
| St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School | Academy sponsor led | 4 to 11 | 202 | Graded inspection, October 2024: no overall grade |
| St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 203 | School remains Good, October 2022 |
| St Matthew's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 258 | Report card, January 2026: safeguarding met |
| St Michael With St John CofE Primary School | Voluntary controlled school | 4 to 11 | 262 | School remains Good, October 2022 |
| St Paul's Roman Catholic Primary School, Feniscowles, Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 216 | Standards maintained, February 2025 |
| St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 408 | Graded inspection, November 2024: no overall grade |
| St Silas's CofE Primary School | Academy sponsor led | 5 to 11 | 311 | Good (overall), April 2023 |
| St Stephen's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 392 | Report card, April 2026: safeguarding met, requires significant improvement |
| St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 56 | Report card, February 2026: safeguarding met |
| The Olive School, Blackburn | Free schools | 4 to 11 | 638 | Graded inspection, March 2025: no overall grade |
| Turton and Edgworth CofE/Methodist Primary School | Academy converter | 5 to 11 | Report card, November 2025: safeguarding met, before the school changed | |
| Turton Belmont Community Primary School | Community school | 4 to 11 | 91 | School remains Good, February 2024 |
| Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 463 | Outstanding (overall), September 2023 |
Secondary (12)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldridge UTC Darwen | Studio schools | 13 to 19 | 275 | Report card, January 2026: safeguarding met |
| Blackburn Central High School | Academy converter | 11 to 16 | 1,015 | School remains Good, December 2022 |
| Darwen Aldridge Community Academy | Academy sponsor led | 11 to 19 | 1,036 | Graded inspection, May 2025: no overall grade |
| Darwen Vale High School | Academy sponsor led | 11 to 16 | 1,039 | Good (overall), January 2024 |
| Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy | Academy sponsor led | 11 to 16 | 770 | Requires improvement (overall), May 2023, before the school changed |
| Pleckgate High School | Academy sponsor led | 11 to 16 | 1,339 | Outstanding (overall), June 2024 |
| Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School | Free schools | 11 to 19 | 873 | Some aspects not as strong, March 2025Good (overall), September 2019 |
| St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | 11 to 16 | 1,051 | Graded inspection, March 2025: no overall grade |
| St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy | Academy converter | 11 to 18 | 1,483 | School remains Good, January 2023 |
| Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School | Free schools | 11 to 18 | 746 | Outstanding (overall), March 2024 |
| Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School | Academy converter | 11 to 18 | 866 | Outstanding (overall), October 2022 |
| Witton Park Academy | Academy converter | 11 to 16 | 1,243 | Report card, February 2026: safeguarding met |
Special (5)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Woodlands School | Other independent special school | 10 to 19 | 64 | No outcome in Ofsted's file |
| Crosshill Special School | Academy special converter | 5 to 18 | 183 | Good (overall), November 2021 |
| Eden School | Free schools special | 8 to 16 | 64 | Good (overall), November 2023 |
| Lower Pastures | Other independent special school | 11 to 16 | 3 | No outcome in Ofsted's file |
| Newfield School | Community special school | 4 to 19 | 242 | Graded inspection, December 2024: no overall grade |
Sixth form and further education (1)
| School | Type | Ages | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn College | Further education | 16 to 99 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
Independent (9)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Islah Girls' High School | Other independent school | 11 to 16 | 119 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Dar Ul Madinah | Other independent school | 5 to 11 | 55 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Islamiyah School | Other independent school | 11 to 16 | 153 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Jamiatul-Ilm Wal-Huda UK School | Other independent school | 11 to 25 | 354 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Markazul Uloom | Other independent school | 11 to 19 | 26 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Noorul Uloom | Other independent school | 11 to 23 | 125 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Rawdhatul Ilm Wal Huda | Other independent school | 11 to 25 | 246 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School | Other independent school | 4 to 11 | 140 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Westholme School | Other independent school | 3 to 18 | 706 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
Pupil referral and alternative provision (2)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Thomas's Centre | Pupil referral unit | 5 to 16 | 115 | School remains Outstanding (Concerns), next inspection graded, June 2024 |
| The Heights Blackburn | Free schools alternative provision | 5 to 16 | 2 | Standards maintained, February 2025 |
Ofsted inspects state-funded schools; independent schools and colleges are inspected separately and show no outcome here.
Source: Get Information About Schools (Department for Education), edubasealldata20261015.csv; Ofsted, latest inspections as at 30 September 2026.