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St James' Church of England Primary School

Blackburn with Darwen, BB3 0QPPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
5 Good
Oct 2024
KS2 Results
50%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.9×
Not oversubscribed
25 1st-choice / 28 places
Ranking
#10,525
of 13,686 nationally

About St James' Church of England Primary School

St James' Church of England Primary School in Blackburn with Darwen is a state primary for children aged 4 to 11, currently home to 191 pupils against a capacity of 210. That leaves a small amount of headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 74 applications for just 28 places, with 25 of those as first preferences and only 24 offers made at that preference level. That works out at roughly 2.6 applications for every place. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 25.1%, which is notably higher than the national average for primary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character, though the data doesn't specify any particular admissions criteria tied to faith. The school is led by headteacher Melissa Tindall and was inspected by Ofsted in October 2024, receiving a Good rating across all graded areas.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressOff Stopes Brow, Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen, BB3 0QP
HeadteacherMelissa Tindall
Local AuthorityBlackburn with Darwen
Number of Pupils191
Free School Meals (FSM)25.1%
School Capacity191 / 210 (91% full)

The full report on this school

What 24 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, 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

29 Oct 2024
View Report
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 8 Dec 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

5
Music RoomsOutdoor PlaygroundDining HallICT SuiteChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

9

Sports

RoundersTennisSwimmingCricketDance

Clubs & Activities

CodingFilm ClubArt ClubBook Club

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

SEND Support

DyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVision

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Breakfast club

07:45-07:50

Source: stjameslowerdarwen.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St James' Church of England Primary School

St James' Church of England 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.