St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Wellfield Drive, Office 204, Burnley, BB12 0JDOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a primary school in Burnley for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. It ranks 3rd of 33 primary schools in Burnley. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 11 October 2023, report published 21 November 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 11 October 2023
Pupils arrive at school happy and ready to learn. Staff welcome them warmly into school each day. Parents and carers are positive about the school. Pupils and their parents feel well supported by staff. Pupils want to learn and they demonstrate this willingness during lessons. They try their best. Staff manage any low-level disruption well. Pupils are calm and polite when they are moving around the school. Pupils know that staff will sort out any problems quickly. The school has appropriate systems in place to deal with bullying effectively. This helps pupils to feel safe in school. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils, including children in the early years, achieve well across the curriculum. The school encourages parents to share in pupils' successes, for example, through regular celebration assemblies. Pupils enjoy the range of opportunities to develop their leadership skills. From as early as the Reception Year, staff encourage children and pupils to apply for positions of responsibility. Pupils take pride representing their class as members of the school council and acting as curriculum ambassadors. Pupils understand how important it is to treat each other fairly and to respect the differences between people. Pupils are eager to embrace the ethos of the school's motto, 'love one another'.
What the school should improve
- The school has not ensured that staff are delivering all aspects of the reading curriculum sufficiently well. This hinders some pupils in becoming fluent readers Academy 3 as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that staff are well equipped to support pupils to become confident and fluent readers.
- The school has not ensured that some pupils have a secure enough understanding of different cultures. This prevents these pupils from being as well prepared as they could be for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that pupils learn about cultures that are different to their own, so that they are better prepared to take their place in a culturally diverse society.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
29 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
191 pupils on roll, with places for 210
Schools near St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellfield Methodist and Anglican Church School | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Good | 70% met the expected standard |
| Whittlefield Primary School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
| Burnley Ightenhill Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 46% met the expected standard |
| Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted judgements: Outstanding | 79% met the expected standard |
| Burnley Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Good | 45% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- ROMERO CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Price
- Phone
- 01282436880
- Address
- Wellfield Drive, Office 204, Burnley, BB12 0JD
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- URN
- 148993
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.