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Schools by area › Blackburn with Darwen › St James' Church of England Primary School

St James' Church of England Primary School

Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Voluntary aided

Off Stopes Brow, Lower Darwen, Darwen BB3 0QP · stjameslowerdarwen.co.uk · 01254 698656

On the mapSearch near BB3 0QP

Overview

Ofsted
No overall grade
2019 framework · inspected Oct 2024
Key stage 2, 2024/25
50%
reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Blackburn with Darwen 63%, England 62%
Demand for places
1.0
first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
Pupils
202
96% of 210 places
Local authority
Blackburn with Darwen
Nursery class
No
Free school meals
25.2%
First language not English
24.3%
School census 2025/26

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Reception in September 2026, 31 families put the school first and 30 places were offered; 90% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 26 (Places 26)26September 2023: 23 (Places 24)23September 2024: 25 (Places 26)25September 2025: 25 (Places 28)25September 2026: 31 (Places 30)31Places 30
ReceptionPlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 202630311▲90%
September 2025Sept 202528250.996%
September 2024Sept 202426251100%
September 2023Sept 202324231100%
September 2022Sept 20222626192%

Results

In 2024/25, 50% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 4% the higher standard. Across Blackburn with Darwen it was 63%, and across England 62%.

Expected standard reading, writing and maths

2019/20 to 2021/22: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1922/2323/2424/252015/16: 53% (England 53%)53%2016/17: 76% (England 61%)76%2017/18: 67% (England 64%)67%2018/19: 53% (England 65%)53%2022/23: 52% (England 60%)52%2023/24: 50% (England 61%)50%2024/25: 50% (England 62%)50%England 62%
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
Reading, writing and maths
▼50%62%
▼4%8%
Average scaled score
●104106
●104105
●103105

Ofsted

Ofsted inspected St James' Church of England Primary School on 29 October 2024 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.

Overall
No overall grade
Inspected
29 Oct 2024
Graded inspection

Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports

Graded areas

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsGood

Previously: Remains Good, ungraded inspection, Sept 2019

Earlier inspections

September 2019 to November 2025

  • Sept 2019Ungraded inspectionRemains Good
    SafeguardingEffective

Before September 2019

  • Nov 2011Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    Early yearsGood
  • Mar 2007Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    Early yearsGood

What parents said

96% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (24 replies, to 1 September 2025).

Recommend
96%
Replies
24
13% · 1 Sept 2025
Child is happy at school▲100% agreeEngland 89%
Child feels safe▲100% agreeEngland 90%
Pupils are well behaved▲92% agreeEngland 84%
School has high expectations▲92% agreeEngland 84%
Child does well●88% agreeEngland 87%
Told what child will learn▲88% agreeEngland 84%
Told how child is doing▲88% agreeEngland 85%
Good range of subjects▲96% agreeEngland 91%
Can join clubs and activities▲96% agreeEngland 91%
Supports personal development▲92% agreeEngland 79%
Concerns are dealt with properly▲94% agreeEngland 77%

based on the 67% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly▲100% agreeEngland 50%

based on the 8% who had a child bullied

Also near this school

All schools in Blackburn with Darwen