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St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Blackburn with Darwen, BB2 1SNPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Jul 2024
KS2 Results
73%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
59 1st-choice / 60 places
Ranking
🏆Top 25%
#3106 of 13,686 nationally

About St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Parents considering St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School will find strong signals that local families rate it highly. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 124 applications for just 60 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.07, meaning more than two families applied for every available spot. Of those 124 applications, 59 were first-preference choices, and 55 first-preference offers were made — so nearly all families who put it top of their list secured a place. The school is full to capacity with 421 pupils against a published capacity of 420, which suggests it is a popular choice in Blackburn with Darwen. Headteacher Debbie Withey leads a Church of England primary that serves a diverse intake, with 30.6 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, above the national average. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, rated it Good overall, with Outstanding marks for early years provision and personal development.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressOakenhurst Road, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, BB2 1SN
HeadteacherDebbie Withey
Local AuthorityBlackburn with Darwen
Number of Pupils421
Free School Meals (FSM)30.6%
School Capacity421 / 420 (100% full)

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)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

2 Jul 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Outstanding

Source: Ofsted, 24 Sept 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
LibraryICT SuiteArt StudiosDining HallPlaying FieldsSports HallChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

9

Sports

CricketRoundersNetballFootballGymnasticsDance

Clubs & Activities

ChessEco ClubCoding

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

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning Difficulty

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided 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.