Schools by area › Blackburn with Darwen › Cedars Primary School
Cedars Primary School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 3–11 · Community school
St. James's Road, Blackburn BB1 8HQ · cedarsprimaryschool.co.uk · 01254 261609
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Nov 2019
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 70%
- 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
- 407
- 97% of 420 places
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 20.5%
- First language not English
- 94.6%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, 44 families put the school first and 52 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 | 52 | 44 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 44 | 42 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 36 | 35 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 27 | 26 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 46 | 41 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25, 70% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 11% 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 | |||
| ▲70% | 62% | ||
| ▲11% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●108 | 106 | ||
| ▲110 | 105 | ||
| ▲112 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Cedars Primary School was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 12 November 2019, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework. An ungraded inspection in Feb 2025 found: Standards maintained.
- Outcome
- Standards maintained
- Inspected
- 4 Feb 2025
- Ungraded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Nov 2019
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Nov 2019Good
Quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years Good Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Nov 2014Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Early years Good May 2012Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good
What parents said
100% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (30 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 100%
- Replies
- 30
- 7% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 50% who raised concerns
based on the 20% who had a child bullied