Sir John Thursby Community College

About Sir John Thursby Community College

Sir John Thursby Community College in Burnley serves a student body where 38.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, and its headline Progress 8 score of -0.29 sits below the Lancashire local authority average of -0.11. That gap of 0.18 points places the school in the bottom half nationally, ranking 4th out of 5 secondary schools in Burnley itself and 52nd out of 90 across the wider Lancashire area. While the score is negative, it's worth noting that the school's Progress 8 confidence interval ranges from -0.49 to -0.09, meaning the true figure could be closer to the LA average at the upper end. The school's attainment 8 score of 37.5 and the fact that 51.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics 9-4 measure) provide a fuller picture of where students finish compared with their starting points.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school retained its Good rating across all five graded categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous Good inspection in 2016, showing sustained quality. However, the exam results paint a more mixed picture. The Progress 8 banding is officially 'Below average', and the school's English Baccalaureate average point score of 3.53 is modest. Only 23.6% of pupils entered the EBacc, and just 9.8% achieved it at grade 5 or above. The school's strongest Progress 8 sub-score is in English (-0.09), which is essentially in line with the national average, while maths (-0.35) and open subjects (-0.51) drag the overall figure down. For a school with high levels of disadvantage, these outcomes are not surprising, but they do indicate that academic performance is an area the leadership will be focused on improving.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 222 places in 2025/26, it received 499 applications, with 243 first-preference applications and 200 first-preference offers. That's an oversubscription ratio of 2.25, suggesting strong local demand despite the middling results. Facilities are generous for a state secondary, including a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, science labs, and music rooms. The school offers a wide range of sports from cricket to netball, and clubs including Debate, Model UN, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. There is no sixth form, so pupils will need to move on at 16. This is a school that suits families who value a broad extracurricular offer and a supportive environment for pupils with additional needs, but who are realistic about academic outcomes being below the local average.

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