Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 May 2026

Pupils have a strong sense of belonging in this welcoming and nurturing school. They build positive relationships with staff, who they trust. This helps pupils to feel safe and well cared for. The school's routines are very well established. Pupils respond enthusiastically to the high expectations that leaders have of them. Pupils are very proud of their school. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They are kind, respectful and polite. When they join the school, they quickly feel included. Pupils play harmoniously together. They enjoy the varied activities staff organise, such as boot camp, football and singing games. Bullying is very rare. However, pupils trust that staff will deal fairly with any issues that may arise. Pupils enjoy their learning. They work very hard because they want to achieve their best. Pupils learn the knowledge that they need to thrive. Most lessons are carefully adapted so that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well from their starting points. Generally, pupils achieve well. This includes pupils who join the school partway through their primary education. Leaders prioritise communication and strengthening vocabulary across all subjects. This helps pupils to talk confidently about their learning. Children in the early years benefit from a secure start, which they build on in key stage 1. Leaders provide a wide range of purposeful, enriching activities. These enhance classroom learning, such as visits to museums and the library. Other opportunities are carefully designed to motivate and inspire, such as a rock band, gardening and interschool sports. Pupils are proud to be involved in decision-making and presenting to governors. They make a positive difference to the community, for example raising awareness about fly-tipping in the local community. Overall, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and to flourish as responsible citizens.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teaching approaches are consistent across the school so that pupils are enabled to produce high-quality work routinely.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils have opportunities to apply and deepen their writing skills across the wider curriculum, so that they write consistently well in different subjects and become more independent and confident writers.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)