St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, BB2 1SNOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school in Blackburn for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 88 schools in Blackburn with Darwen. It ranks 14th of 49 primary schools in Blackburn. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 2 July 2024, report published 24 September 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 2 July 2024
Pupils enjoy warm and supportive relationships with staff. They are well cared for. Pupils are happy and safe in school. They work and play together well, demonstrating positive attitudes to their lessons. Pupils are extremely polite and respectful towards their peers, staff and visitors. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), respond well to the high expectations that the school has for their achievement. They achieve well across a broad range of subjects. Children in the early years, develop confidence in their abilities and learn to communicate with increasing clarity. They flourish and achieve exceptionally well, academically and socially. Pupils benefit from an impressive range of opportunities that help them to grow and develop into well-rounded citizens of the future. Pupils develop their talents by attending a range of clubs, such as sports, music and art clubs. Carefully designed trips, including to museums and places of worship, closely match what pupils are learning in class. Pupils represent the school exceptionally well as role models and ambassadors. Older pupils have chances to take on leadership roles, such as being librarians, playground helpers and school council members. This helps them to gain confidence as well as understand the importance of responsibility.
What the school should improve
- In some subjects, the school has not identified the key vocabulary that pupils need in order to access the full curriculum and understand the books that they read. This hampers pupils from building a secure body of knowledge in different subjects. It also limits some pupils' access to more complex texts. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about the key vocabulary that pupils should acquire in order to make sense of their learning.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
60 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
419 pupils on roll, with places for 420
Schools near St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | 0.3 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | 59% met the expected standard |
| Queen Elizabeth's Primary School | 0.4 miles | Report card: Expected standard | 45% met the expected standard |
| Dar Ul Madinah | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | 46% met the expected standard |
| St Silas's CofE Primary School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 59% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Debbie Withey
- Phone
- 01254698413
- Address
- Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, BB2 1SN
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- URN
- 119499
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.