Belthorn Academy Primary School

About Belthorn Academy Primary School

Belthorn Academy Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its most recent inspections, including an ungraded visit in 2024 that confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling academic metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, where 71% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits comfortably above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%, placing the school in the top 30% nationally for this measure. Within Blackburn with Darwen, Belthorn ranks 16th out of 52 primary schools, putting it in the top third of the borough. The school also performs well on individual subjects: 90% of pupils reached the expected standard in both reading and maths, and average scaled scores of 106 in reading and 105 in maths suggest solid, consistent teaching rather than flashy outliers.

Looking deeper at the exam data, the picture is one of steady competence rather than exceptionalism. Only 5% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the national average for that top tier. However, 24% hit the higher standard in reading and 19% in maths, showing that the school does stretch some pupils in specific areas. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The Ofsted breakdown from 2014 gave the school Good ratings for overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and the 2024 ungraded inspection found no reason to change that judgement. For parents focused on solid, above-average outcomes without the pressure of a selective or outstanding label, Belthorn delivers a reliable academic foundation.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 52 applications for 28 places, with 35 first-preference applications and 28 offers made to first-preference families. That 1.86 oversubscription ratio tells you it is a popular choice locally. Belthorn has a nursery provision for children from age 2, which is a practical bonus for working parents. Facilities include a forest school, sensory room, music rooms, art studios and a library, plus a gymnasium and playing fields. Clubs range from choir and science club to eco club and film club, and sports include netball, dance, athletics and cross country. The school supports pupils with moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional challenges, and other disabilities. With 11.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, it is a genuinely mixed intake school that suits families wanting a well-equipped, community-focused primary with strong but not stratospheric results.

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