What is St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn's Ofsted rating?

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This is the overall judgement recorded under the inspection framework in use on the inspection date. Read the report and date before comparing it with newer inspections.

Does St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn offer SEND support?

DfE data for St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn lists these SEND need or provision categories: Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia), Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional & Mental Health, Speech, Language & Communication, Hearing Impairment, and 4 more categories. This does not guarantee a particular place or service. Contact the school's SENCO for its current provision.

What are St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn's exam results?

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn's published exam results include: 54% achieved grade 5+ in English and Maths GCSE; Attainment 8 score of 47.4. Check the result year before comparing schools.

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn

#5 in Best Secondary Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

Parent reviews

Pupils: 1,051
Ages: 11–16
Gender: Mixed
School type: Voluntary aided school

About

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn is a state-funded secondary school in Blackburn with Darwen, North West, for pupils aged 11 to 16 for boys and girls. DfE data records 1,051 pupils on roll and a published capacity of 1,050.

The latest recorded Ofsted overall judgement is Good (4 Mar 2025). The published Attainment 8 score was 47.4 for 2024/25. Admissions data records 262 first-preference applications and 207 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27.

Reporting periods vary by source — Methodology.

School Rating

7/10

Classpot Rating

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn’s combined academic results and attendance score is in the typical band compared with mainstream state secondary schools across England for 2024/25.

6/10Academic results

Typical

The school’s Attainment 8 score was 47.4 in 2024/25. This measures average attainment across eight GCSE-level qualifications, using DfE’s subject weighting rules.

The score compares this result with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Academic attainment contributes 90% of the combined score. It measures exam or assessment results, not how much progress pupils made from their starting points.

7/10Attendance

Typical

Overall absence was 7.46% of possible school sessions in 2024/25. This includes authorised and unauthorised absence; it is not the percentage of pupils who were persistently absent.

The score compares absence with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Lower absence receives a higher score. Attendance contributes 10% of the combined score and does not on its own measure teaching quality.

NAPupil progress

Not available for 2024/25

DfE did not publish Progress 8 for 2024/25 because the required KS2 assessments were cancelled during the pandemic. Progress would compare pupils’ outcomes with those of pupils with similar earlier attainment.

Pupil progress is not included in this version of Classpot Rating. Its absence does not reduce the school’s score.

Methodology and official sources

Contact Information

01254202519 www.stbedesblackburn.com

Green Lane, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, BB2 4SR

Mr Daniel Milton

Details

School Type: Secondary (State)
Age Range: 11 to 16 years
Gender: Mixed
Religious Character: Roman Catholic
Establishment type: Voluntary aided school
Local Authority: Blackburn with Darwen

The full reporton this school

School admissions data, what the Ofsted report means for you, and how it compares to nearby schools.

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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

Not judged

Based on 4 Mar 2025 · Legacy grading · Open inspection report ↗

Inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Quality of education	Good
Behaviour & attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership & management	Good

Previous inspection · 21 Feb 2023Legacy grading · Requires improvement

Previous inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Overall effectiveness	Requires improvement
Quality of education	Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership & management	Good

Published 5 May 2025.

Ofsted legacy grades; compare inspection dates and frameworks.

Catchment & distance

Distance unavailable; check admission criteria with the school or council.

Admissions

Application dates · 2027/28 entry
Measure	Value
School’s local authority	Blackburn with Darwen
Applications open	Usually 1 September 2026
Application deadline	31 October 2026
National offer day	1 March 2027

Apply through your home council; confirm local dates and any extra school forms.

Admissions demand · 2026/27
Measure	Value
Offers made on National Offer Day	207
First-preference applications	262
Applications (all preferences)	521
First-preference offers	205

Source: Published admissions data; follow each measure’s labelled basis, including all preferences where shown.

School performance

GCSE results

GCSE results · 2024/25
Measure	Value
Attainment 8 (average score)	47.4
English & maths: grades 9–4	73.8%
English & maths: grades 9–5	53.5%
EBacc entry	44.1%
EBacc grades 9–4	26.7%
EBacc grades 9–5	15.8%
EBacc average point score	4.27

DfE · 2024/25; compare the same year and measure (— unavailable or suppressed).

Destinations after GCSE · 2022/23
Destination	Pupils
This school’s sixth form	1.4%
Sixth-form college	6.8%
Further education college	64.7%
Apprenticeship	8.7%
Employment	3.4%
Not sustained	9.7%
Unknown	3.4%

Cohort: 207 pupils · Sustained education or employment: 87%

DfE destinations follow school leavers, not current pupils.

Students and teachers

15.7 pupils per qualified teacher

2025/26 · Full-time equivalent teachers, not class size.

Students

Number of pupilsPeriod not recorded: 1051
School capacityPeriod not recorded: 1050
Free school meals (FSM)2025/26: 21%
English as an additional language (EAL)2025/26: 7.5%
Attendance2024/25: 92.54%
Persistent absence (10% or more of sessions)2024/25: 19.59%

Classes & attendance

Average class size2025/26: 22.6
Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25: 16.68
Suspensions (count)2024/25: 174
Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils2024/25: 0.48
Permanent exclusions (count)2024/25: 5

More pupil data

Absence breakdown
Measure	Value
Authorised absence2024/25	5.37%
Unauthorised absence2024/25	2.09%

Ethnic background · 2025/26
Group	Pupils
White British	89.2%
White other	6.2%
Mixed	2%
Asian	1%
Black	1%
Other	0.6%

DfE school, census, workforce, absence and exclusion data; periods vary, and missing values are not zero.

Published SEND Data

Autism
Dyslexia
Mental Health
Speech & Language
Hearing
Vision
Physical
Learning Difficulty
Other

DfE data; confirm current support with the school's SENCO.

Ofsted Parent View

75% would recommend this school

89 responses · Sep 2024 – Sep 2025

Parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Happy at school	81%
Feels safe	85%
Well behaved pupils	83%
Bullying dealt with	17%

Additional parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Aware of curriculum	70%
Concerns dealt with	50%
SEND support	55%
High expectations	80%
Child does well	79%
Progress updates	81%
Subject range	84%
Clubs & activities	88%
Personal development	64%

School day & term dates

School day
Measure	Value
Teaching hours	08:55 – 14:55

Source: School website · checked 2026-05-20; confirm current arrangements.

Check the school website for term dates, holidays and INSET days.

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FAQ about St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn recorded 262 first-choice applications and 207 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27. That is 1.3 first-choice applications per offer made. This is a historic demand signal, not an individual admission probability or a catchment boundary. Admission criteria, address, preferences and the applicant cohort also matter. First-choice applications exceeded offers made in this dataset.

Results: Published results describe a past pupil cohort. Compare the same measure and reporting year; attainment and progress measure different things. Understanding secondary results.

Inspection: Read the inspection date and full report alongside the headline judgement. Schools inspected under different frameworks cannot be compared using a headline grade alone. Understanding Ofsted inspections.

Admissions: Applications and places describe past demand, not your child’s chance of an offer. Check the entry year and current admission criteria, including any priority groups. School admissions timeline.

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