Blackburn Central High School
Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HJOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Blackburn Central High School is a secondary school in Blackburn for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 88 schools in Blackburn with Darwen. It ranks 7th of 10 secondary schools in Blackburn. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2012.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 15 November 2012, report published 7 December 2012
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 13 December 2022
Pupils are proud to attend this school. They have warm and trusting relationships with staff. Pupils told inspectors that they appreciate the family atmosphere of the school, where everyone is equally valued. Leaders and governors have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils respond positively to the challenges set for them. They enjoy learning and achieve well. Diversity is not just tolerated at this school, it is celebrated. Pupils and staff have won national recognition for the work that they have done to promote inclusion. There is a well-established culture of respect. Bullying is rare. Leaders have systems in place to tackle any incidents of bullying or poor behaviour swiftly and effectively. Consequently, pupils are happy and safe. Leaders have identified a wealth of opportunities for pupils to develop important skills such as resilience and communication. Roles such as senior students, form captains and the junior leadership team allow pupils to develop their leadership skills. Pupils engage with the local community through fundraising and voluntary work. They enjoy a wide variety of clubs and sports including chess, science, debating and the school choir.
What the school should improve
- The curriculum in a small number of subjects is not as broad and rich as it could be. This is because some teachers choose a narrow range of resources which are used with multiple year groups. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge in some aspects of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that teachers chose appropriate resources which enable pupils to strengthen their knowledge.
- Some teachers do not check pupils' learning effectively enough in lessons. Consequently, these teachers sometimes do not know which pupils have misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should support teachers to develop a range of formative assessment strategies to enable them to quickly identify when pupils need extra help in lessons.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
176 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
1,015 pupils on roll, with places for 900
Schools near Blackburn Central High School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Islah Girls' High School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 39.6 |
| Noorul Uloom | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 49.4 |
| Markazul Uloom | 0.5 miles | Report card: Needs attention to strong standard | Attainment 8: 55.7 |
| Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Attainment 8: 37.2 |
| Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 62.5 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- OAK LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nicola Power
- Phone
- 01254505700
- Address
- Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HJ
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- URN
- 146936
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.