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Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy

Blackburn with Darwen, BB1 1PYSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
May 2023
Progress 8
No data
Competition
0.7×
Not oversubscribed
96 1st-choice / 144 places
Ranking
Not ranked

About Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy

Our Lady and St John RC High School is a Roman Catholic secondary for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 in Blackburn with Darwen. It is almost at full capacity with 812 pupils against a school capacity of 821, and its intake reflects a significantly higher-than-average level of disadvantage: 44.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national secondary average of around 24%. Demand for places is strong — for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 189 applications for 144 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.31. Of those, 96 were first-preference applications, and all 96 received an offer. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. It is one of 13 state secondaries in the local authority, where only three schools currently hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating; the nearest of those is Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School, 2.4 km away.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressNorth Road, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, BB1 1PY
HeadteacherMichael Wright
Local AuthorityBlackburn with Darwen
Number of Pupils812
Free School Meals (FSM)44.3%
School Capacity812 / 821 (99% full)

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

16 May 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal Development
Requires improvement
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement

Source: Ofsted, 6 Jul 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
LibraryScience LabsSports HallArt StudiosTennis CourtsPlaying FieldsSixth Form CentreChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

15

Sports

BadmintonBasketballMartial ArtsCricketRowingCross CountryRoundersRugby

Clubs & Activities

Art ClubDramaChoirCodingGardeningYoung EnterpriseEco Club

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

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultySevere Learning

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy

Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.