Classpot

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy

Blackburn with Darwen, BB2 2JRSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Jan 2023
Progress 8
+0.19
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
279 1st-choice / 257 places
Ranking
#1,093
of 3,141 nationally

About St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy is one of the strongest-performing state secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen, ranking third out of ten schools in the local authority by Progress 8 score. That places it ahead of the local average and within the top 30% of schools in the area. The two schools above it — Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School and Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School — are both rated Outstanding by Ofsted and sit just 0.4 km away, so the local landscape is competitive. St Wilfrid's itself holds a Good rating from its most recent graded inspection in 2013, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. With 1,489 pupils on roll and a capacity of 1,630, it is a large, mixed 11-18 Church of England academy that draws families from across the borough. The headteacher, Victoria Michael, leads a school where 21.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressDuckworth Street, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, BB2 2JR
HeadteacherVictoria Michael
Local AuthorityBlackburn with Darwen
Number of Pupils1,489
Free School Meals (FSM)21.4%
School Capacity1,489 / 1,630 (91% full)
Sixth FormYes

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
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

11 Jan 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (11 Jan 2023): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 3 Dec 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
Sixth Form CentreSwimming PoolSports HallICT SuitePlaying FieldsTheatreChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

18

Sports

SwimmingAthleticsGymnasticsHockeyBasketballRoundersMartial Arts

Clubs & Activities

GardeningFilm ClubDramaBook ClubChoirCodingOrchestraYoung EnterpriseDuke of EdinburghModel United NationsDebate

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

SEND Support

Resourced Provision
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyResourced ProvisionOther

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

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.