Schools by area › Blackburn with Darwen › Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Sponsored academy
North Road, Blackburn BB1 1PY · olsj.blackburn.sch.uk · 01254 588388
Overview
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement
- 2019 framework · inspected May 2023
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 37.2
- average Attainment 8 score. Blackburn with Darwen 45.4, England 46
- Demand for places
- 0.7
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 770
- 94% of 821 places
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 47.7%
- First language not English
- 38.2%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 106 families put the school first and 155 places were offered; 100% 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 | 155 | 106 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 144 | 96 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 166 | 103 | 0.6 | 98% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 143 | 108 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 169 | 129 | 0.8 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 37.2, and 22.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼37.2 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼22.5% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼42.1% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼32.6% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼3.16 | 4.09 |
Some years are for the predecessor school (URN 119790)
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sixth form college | 3.7 | −4.2 |
| Further education | 72 | +8.8 |
| Apprenticeship | 3.7 | +0.4 |
| Employment | 1.2 | −2.7 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 14.3 | +1.8 |
| Activity not captured | 5 | +2.4 |
Published for the predecessor school (URN 119790)
Ofsted
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy was judged Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, on 16 May 2023, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Requires improvement
- Inspected
- 16 May 2023
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 119790)
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Requires improvement |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Requires improvement |
| Personal development | Requires improvement |
| Leadership and management | Requires improvement |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Oct 2019
Earlier inspections
Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 119790), which Ofsted links to this one.
September 2019 to November 2025
- Jun 2022Monitoring visitEffective action
- Mar 2021Monitoring visitEffective action
Oct 2019Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 119790)
Before September 2019
- Apr 2019Monitoring visitEffective action
May 2017Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 119790)
Jun 2015Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement 16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 119790)