Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #356 in Lancashire public Top 97% UK

Rawtenstall Balladen Community Primary School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Daniel Hargreaves

location_onRossendale, BB4 6DX

language Visit Website phone 1706215233

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2024

groups

Students

165

school

Expected Standard

32%

local_fire_department

Demand Ratio

0.9x

summarize

Rawtenstall Balladen Community Primary School is a Community school primary school in Rossendale, serving ages 4-11. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards. Ranks in the top 97% of primary schools nationally.

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School Summary

Rawtenstall Balladen Community Primary School is a community school in Rossendale, Lancashire, admitting pupils aged 4-11. The school has approximately 120 pupils on roll, of whom 47% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, 32% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined. The school ranks #356 of 444 primaries in Lancashire and #12,044 of 14,143 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2024. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Requires improvement, behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement, personal development Good, and leadership and management Requires improvement.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.9× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 15.6:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 2 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 4.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

school

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

2025

R/W/M Expected Standard

32%

LA 59%

Reading60% LA 73%

Writing52% LA 69%

Maths40% LA 72%

Read SS

102

Maths SS

GPS SS

100

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

12%

LA 58%England 61%

Reading36% LA 73% · Eng 74%

Writing40% LA 70% · Eng 72%

Maths12% LA 71% · Eng 73%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

23%

LA 58%England 60%

Reading52% LA 72% · Eng 73%

Writing39% LA 71% · Eng 71%

Maths26% LA 73% · Eng 73%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

100

Progress (0 = national avg)

-6.3

Read

LA -0.2

-8.5 to -4.1

-7.0

Write

LA 0.1

-9.1 to -4.8

-7.2

Maths

LA -0.3

-9.3 to -5.1

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

52%

LA 64%England 65%

Reading69% LA 72% · Eng 73%

Writing79% LA 77% · Eng 78%

Maths59% LA 77% · Eng 79%

Read SS

103

Maths SS

101

GPS SS

103

Progress (0 = national avg)

-2.4

Read

LA -0.2

-4.7 to -0.2

-2.9

Write

LA 0.1

-5.0 to -0.8

-5.0

Maths

LA -0.2

-7.0 to -3.0

2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

84%

LA 65%

Reading94% LA 76%

Writing88% LA 78%

Maths91% LA 75%

Read SS

110

Maths SS

109

GPS SS

109

Progress (0 = national avg)

1.9

Read

LA 0.1

-0.2 to 4

-1.4

Write

LA 0.1

-3.4 to 0.6

1.7

Maths

LA 0.0

-0.2 to 3.6

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

08 October 2024

Inspection Report

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03 November 2023

Inspection Report

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23 November 2021

Inspection Report

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03 November 2015

Inspection Report

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31 January 2012

Inspection Report

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30 June 2010

Inspection Report

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22 May 2007

Inspection Report

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31 January 2006

Inspection Report

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17 January 2000

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

5 Evaluations

2024-10-08

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Requires improvement

Development

Good

Leadership

Requires improvement

2021-11-23

S5 Inspection EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Requires improvement

Development

Good

Leadership

Requires improvement

2015-11-03

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2012-01-31

S5 Inspection Legacy

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

2007-05-22

None EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

2.5%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 0.8% for this term (primary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.8%(1 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

1pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 1.225% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 120 pupils. During this period, there were 3 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 2.5%, which is above the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	120	3	2.5%	0.8%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	128	9	7.0%	0.9%	1
2023/24 (Summer term)	148	6	4.1%	0.8%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	150	1	0.7%	0.7%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	144	3	2.1%	0.8%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	164	4	2.4%	0.7%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	165	2	1.2%	0.6%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	164	0	0.0%	0.6%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	174	0	0.0%	0.5%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	184	3	1.6%	0.5%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	186	0	0.0%	0.5%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	195	1	0.5%	0.4%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	197	0	0.0%	0.1%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	194	0	0.0%	0.4%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	207	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	207	0	0.0%	0.4%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	210	0	0.0%	0.6%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	212	0	0.0%	0.4%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	213	0	0.0%	0.5%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	214	0	0.0%	0.5%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	207	0	0.0%	0.5%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	208	0	0.0%	0.4%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	212	0	0.0%	0.5%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	210	0	0.0%	0.4%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	208	0	0.0%	0.4%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	205	0	0.0%	0.5%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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psychology_alt

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Speech, Language & Communication 7 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 6 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 4 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 2 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 1 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 1 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

64.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

41.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

12.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree24%

agree18%

disagree29%

strongly disagree29%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree29%

agree18%

disagree24%

strongly disagree29%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree18%

agree12%

disagree18%

strongly disagree35%

not applicable18%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree18%

agree35%

disagree12%

strongly disagree29%

don't know6%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree29%

agree24%

disagree6%

strongly disagree29%

don't know12%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree35%

agree24%

disagree12%

strongly disagree29%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree35%

agree35%

strongly disagree29%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree41%

agree24%

disagree6%

strongly disagree29%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree29%

agree24%

disagree12%

strongly disagree29%

don't know6%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes47%

no53%

Top Primary Schools in Lancashire

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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Stanah Primary School

Good

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emoji_events #1 in LA

Helmshore Primary School

Good

location_on Rossendale, BB4 4JW

emoji_events #2 in LA

Lomeshaye Junior School

Good

location_on Nelson, BB9 7SY

emoji_events #3 in LA

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Preston

Good

location_on Preston, PR1 6HQ

emoji_events #4 in LA

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School

Outstanding

location_on Burnley, BB12 0BN

emoji_events #5 in LA

St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, Rawtenstall

Good

location_on Rossendale, BB4 8SU

emoji_events #6 in LA

View all schools in Lancashire arrow_forward

School Summary

Academic Performance

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Primary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Primary Schools in Lancashire

Stanah Primary School

Helmshore Primary School

Lomeshaye Junior School

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Preston

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School

St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, Rawtenstall