Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy
Primary · Academy converter · Ages 4–11 · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council · offers on 16 April 2026
Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy is a primary school in Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen for ages 4–11 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is School remains Good, from the inspection on 29 March 2023. Blackburn with Darwen has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2026 entry.
Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Reception 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In 2024/25, 65% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), while 0% reached the higher standard (England 8%).
- Every applicant for a Reception place in 2026 was offered one, as at 29 of the 43 other Blackburn with Darwen primary schools with a published Reception 2026 outcome.
- 2026 Reception entry had 21 first-choice applications for 26 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 5 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
- 8.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals; the middle figure across the 8 nearest primary schools in Blackburn with Darwen is 34%.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Blackburn with Darwen schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Knowlesly Road, Darwen, BB3 2JA
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4–11
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Pupils on roll
- 207 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 8.7% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 24.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
School remains Good Inspected 29 March 2023
Strengths
- “Pupils, and children in the early years, arrive at school happy and ready to learn.”
- “They look forward to the warm welcome that they receive every morning.”
- “Parents and carers appreciate that their children can benefit from the school’s nurturing atmosphere.”
To improve
- “However, in a small number of subjects, some teachers do not design learning that supports pupils to build their knowledge as securely as they should over time.”
- “As a result, some pupils learn less well in these subjects.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 25 May 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 65% | 62% |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 21 first-preference applications, 26 offers in total, 21 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in Blackburn with Darwen.
- Ashleigh Primary School 0.4 mi School remains Good
- Darwen St Peter's Church of England Primary School 0.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Darwen 0.9 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary 1.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Holy Trinity VC School 1.2 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Hoddlesden St Paul's Church of England Primary School 1.5 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy 1.5 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Avondale Primary School 1.8 mi School remains Good Last distance published