Schools by area › Blackburn with Darwen › Lower Darwen Primary School
Lower Darwen Primary School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Community school
Milking Lane, Lower Darwen, Darwen BB3 0RB · lowerdarwenprimary.co.uk · 0125455639
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Mar 2023
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 41%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Blackburn with Darwen 63%, England 62%
- Demand for places
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 382
- 91% of 420 places
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Nursery class
- No
- Free school meals
- 20.4%
- First language not English
- 8.4%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, 36 families put the school first and 44 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 44 | 36 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 50 | 41 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 45 | 44 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 51 | 50 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 48 | 46 | 1 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25, 41% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 0% the higher standard. Across Blackburn with Darwen it was 63%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▼41% | 62% | ||
| ▼0% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ▼102 | 106 | ||
| ▼102 | 105 | ||
| ●103 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Lower Darwen Primary School was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 21 March 2023, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 21 Mar 2023
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Good |
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Oct 2012
Earlier inspections
Before September 2019
Jan 2018Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective Oct 2012Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Nov 2010Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Good
What parents said
85% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (53 replies, to 1 January 2024).
- Recommend
- 85%
- Replies
- 53
- 14% · 1 Jan 2024
based on the 74% who raised concerns
based on the 36% who had a child bullied