St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 January 2026

Pupils enjoy spending time with their friends at school. They embrace the school’s motto of ‘making tomorrow a better day’. Pupils know that they can learn from their experiences and keep a positive outlook for the future. They feel well cared for by staff. Pupils know that they can speak to trusted adults if they have any worries. The school uses effective systems to reduce any barriers to pupils’ learning and wellbeing. Leaders work with staff to help pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, to follow the curriculum alongside their peers. Pupils develop positive attitudes towards their learning. Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. The school’s curriculum is ambitious. It enables pupils to build their knowledge over time. As a result, pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, learn well across most subjects. However, pupils across the school do not develop their writing skills consistently. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding of spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting, which are not addressed over time. Most pupils attend school regularly. They typically demonstrate positive behaviour and treat others respectfully. Pupils follow the school rules closely. They are kind, care for others and try their best. They know that staff respond promptly to any rare incidents of bullying or unkindness. Pupils benefit from a range of experiences in school that develop their character and understanding of life in modern Britain. They support their peers in their roles as buddies, sports leaders and members of the chaplaincy team. Pupils enjoy a range of trips, for example, to zoos, museums and outdoor learning sites. These visits help to enrich their learning across the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff deliver the curriculum consistently well and that, when needed, they successfully adapt teaching to enable all pupils to learn as effectively as they can.
• Leaders should support staff in using their checks on learning more precisely to identify and address any gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge.
• Leaders should ensure that their approaches to raising pupils’ attainment in writing improve pupils’ foundational knowledge of grammar and spelling and the quality of their writing over time.

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