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Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School

Blackburn with Darwen, BB1 1NEPrimaryAges 3–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Feb 2024
KS2 Results
72%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
56 1st-choice / 58 places
Ranking
#3,496
of 13,686 nationally

About Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School

Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School sits within the Blackburn with Darwen local authority, where it ranks 13th out of 52 primary schools — comfortably inside the top quarter of its peers. Among the highest-scoring schools in the area are The Olive School, Blackburn, Blackburn the Redeemer CofE Primary, and St Gabriel's Church of England Primary School, all of which sit above St Thomas' in the local rankings. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in February 2024, confirmed that it remains Good, a rating it has held consistently since at least its previous graded inspection in 2013. Leadership and management were also judged Good. With 459 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is clearly popular locally, and its Church of England character gives it a defined place in the community. The headteacher, Yusra Arshad, leads a school that serves a diverse intake, with 22.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressNewton Street, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, BB1 1NE
HeadteacherYusra Arshad
Local AuthorityBlackburn with Darwen
Number of Pupils459
Free School Meals (FSM)22.2%
School Capacity459 / 420 (109% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
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    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

29 Feb 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (29 Feb 2024): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 10 Oct 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
Music RoomsLibrarySensory RoomDining HallPlaying FieldsGymnasiumChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

8

Sports

AthleticsFootballSwimmingNetball

Clubs & Activities

DramaScience ClubChoirBook Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

Mental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School

Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.