Schools by area › Blackburn with Darwen › St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Voluntary aided
Green Lane, Blackburn BB2 4SR · stbedesblackburn.com · 01254 202519
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Mar 2025
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 47.4
- average Attainment 8 score. Blackburn with Darwen 45.4, England 46
- Demand for places
- 1.3
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 1,051
- 1 over 1,050 places · 100%
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 21%
- First language not English
- 7.5%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 262 families put the school first and 207 places were offered; 78% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 207 | 262 | 1.3▲ | 78% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 203 | 238 | 1.2▲ | 84% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 204 | 264 | 1.3▲ | 77% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 204 | 245 | 1.2▲ | 83% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 205 | 249 | 1.2▲ | 82% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 47.4, and 53.5% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Blackburn with Darwen it was 45.4, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●47.4 | 46.0 | ||
| ▲53.5% | 45.4% | ||
| ▲73.8% | 64.8% | ||
| ▲44.1% | 40.5% | ||
| ●4.27 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 1.4 | 0 |
| Sixth form college | 11.6 | −3.3 |
| Further education | 64.8 | +5.2 |
| Apprenticeship | 7.4 | −2.7 |
| Employment | 1.4 | −6.3 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 10.2 | +5.9 |
| Activity not captured | 3.2 | +1.3 |
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn on 4 March 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 4 Mar 2025
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Feb 2023
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Feb 2023Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Jan 2018Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective Sept 2014Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Mar 2010Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good
What parents said
75% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (89 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 75%
- Replies
- 89
- 9% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 75% who raised concerns
based on the 38% who had a child bullied
based on 22 parents (25%) with SEND