St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

About St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, sits within the Blackburn with Darwen local authority, one of 56 primary schools in the area. While the LA counts just four primaries with an Outstanding Ofsted rating, St Edward's holds a solid Good rating, a status it has maintained since its last graded inspection in 2016. Among its local peers, the top-performing primary is The Olive School, Blackburn, followed closely by Blackburn the Redeemer CofE Primary and St Gabriel's Church of England Primary School, both of which share a ranking score of 81. The nearest Outstanding-rated school to St Edward's is Blackburn the Redeemer CofE Primary, just 1.6 kilometres away. This places St Edward's in a competitive local landscape where a handful of schools achieve the top Ofsted grade, but the school itself has demonstrated consistent quality, having improved from a Requires Improvement rating in its 2014 inspection to Good by 2016, a trajectory that suggests effective leadership under headteacher Vannessa Knowles.

Academically, St Edward's most recent Ofsted report from January 2020 confirmed the school remains Good, with leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all rated Good. The school's previous graded inspection in June 2016 also awarded Good across these categories, marking a clear improvement from the Requires Improvement rating of March 2014. While specific Key Stage 2 SATs results are not provided in the data, the local authority average for KS2 attainment stands at 59, giving a useful benchmark for parents. The school serves 201 pupils against a capacity of 208, with 15.4 per cent eligible for free school meals, slightly below the national average. The school does not have a sixth form or nursery provision, focusing entirely on primary-age children from 4 to 11. The Ofsted report notes that the school has maintained its Good rating through an ungraded inspection in 2020, which is a positive indicator of sustained quality.

For families considering St Edward's, the school is clearly popular: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, it received 68 applications for just 29 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.34, with 27 first-preference offers made. This suggests strong local demand, particularly among Roman Catholic families given its religious character. The school offers a range of facilities including a library, art studios, ICT suite, playing fields, forest school, music rooms, and a chapel, plus sports such as netball, athletics, football, gymnastics, and swimming. Clubs include gardening, book club, film club, and chess. SEND provision is broad, covering moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication, hearing impairment, physical disability, and other difficulties. This combination of strong demand, Catholic ethos, and comprehensive support makes St Edward's a good fit for families seeking a faith-based primary with a track record of improvement and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents