St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
91%
Capacity
1,489
Pupils
3.0x
Demand
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.
Academically, St Wilfrid's delivers results that sit comfortably above the local baseline. Its Progress 8 score of 0.19 is rated 'Above average' and compares favourably with the Blackburn with Darwen average of 0.05. Pupils achieve an Attainment 8 score of 50.5, and 55.5% secure a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The school also performs well on the English Baccalaureate: 51.6% of pupils enter the EBacc suite of subjects, and 27.6% achieve a grade 5 or above across all five components. In the sixth form, the picture is more mixed. The value-added score is -0.03, which falls within the 'Average' band, and the average points per entry is 32.4, equivalent to a C+ grade. Just 13.4% of A-level entries achieve grades AAB or higher, which is below the national average for selective or high-performing sixth forms. Still, for a large comprehensive with an open intake, the sixth form offers a solid option for students who want to stay on.
The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 783 applications for 257 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.05. Of 279 first-preference applicants, 229 received offers, so getting a place is competitive but not impossible for local families. Facilities are generous for a state school — a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, chapel, and a dedicated sixth form centre are all on site. The clubs programme is wide-ranging, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model United Nations, coding, and a full orchestral and choral offer. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, plus a resourced provision. This is a school that suits families looking for a large, inclusive Church of England secondary with strong core GCSE outcomes, a busy extracurricular life, and a sixth form that keeps most pupils local.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Duckworth Street, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, BB2 2JR |
| Headteacher | Victoria Michael |
| Local Authority | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Number of Pupils | 1,489 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 21.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,489 / 1,630 (91% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Jan 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (11 Jan 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 3 Dec 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.19)
1093rd of 3,141
Nationally
113th of 445
In North West
3rd of 10
In Blackburn with Darwen
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
39.8
'22/23
29.5
'23/24
32.4
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2337%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 240 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)37%
- FE college36%
- Sixth form college13%
- Apprenticeship8%
- Not sustained3%
- Employment2%
96% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2376%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 108 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
17%
Russell Group
25%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)76%
- Employment14%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology58
- Mathematics39
- Law37
- Chemistry31
- Sociology30
- Biology25
- Business Studies:Single19
- English Literature18
- Physics16
- History13
- English Language9
- Computer Studies / Computing8
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed257
783
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
279 families put this school as their 1st choice (36% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British44.2%
- Asian36.6%
- Mixed4.3%
- White (other)4.1%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
22
Total schools
17
Oversubscribed
15
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Duckworth Street, Blackburn
Blackburn with Darwen, BB2 2JR
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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