Ofsted: Good trending_up Popular emoji_events #3 in Blackburn with Darwen public Top 14% UK

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy

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

personMrs Victoria Michael

corporate_fareST WILFRID'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY

location_onBlackburn, BB2 2JR

language Visit Website phone 1254604000

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2018

groups

Students

1,500

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Attainment 8

50.8

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GCSE Rank

#3 in Blackburn with Darwen

#835 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy is a Academy converter secondary school in Blackburn, serving ages 11-18. Rated Good by Ofsted. Demand is above capacity (1.1×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy is an academy converter in Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of ST WILFRID'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY. The school has approximately 1,489 pupils on roll, of whom 24% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50.8, placing the school #3 in Blackburn with Darwen and #835 of 3,216 nationally. 53.40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 24.7% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 18 A-level subjects. 32.7% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 10.3% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.53 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2018. The school's current overall rating is Good.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.1× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 16.8:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 3 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 4.0 per 1,000 pupils per term.

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

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

50.8

Grade 5+ E&M

53.40%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)24.7%

Entering EBacc8.10%

EBacc APS4.2

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.19

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

50.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc51.60%

EBacc APS4.56

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.21

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

51.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc45%

EBacc APS4.60

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.14

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

52.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc27%

EBacc APS4.47

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc8%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.5

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

53.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc12%

EBacc APS4.21

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.29

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

51.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc11%

EBacc APS4.14

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)86%

Apprenticeships8%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)93%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.53

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C-

Students

103

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*1.6%

Achieving A*–A10.3%

Achieving A*–B32.7%

VA Banding Below average

Retention rate94.2%

A-level subjects offered18

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.03

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make broadly expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Retention rate93.20%

2023

Avg Grade

Students

110

Retention rate94.50%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

101

Retention rate97.0%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

10 January 2023

Inspection Report

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22 February 2018

Inspection Report

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13 November 2013

Inspection Report

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27 February 2012

Inspection Report

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14 February 2012

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2018-02-22

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2013-11-13

S5 Inspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2011-05-11

None EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

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

Suspension Rate

4.0%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

3.2%(48 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: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,489 pupils. During this period, there were 59 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 4.0%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,489	59	4.0%	7.3%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,501	60	4.0%	7.8%	2
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,486	112	7.5%	7.4%	1
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,482	65	4.4%	7.1%	2
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,487	119	8.0%	8.2%	2
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,501	136	9.1%	6.6%	1
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,500	103	6.9%	6.4%	3
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,499	94	6.3%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,504	17	1.1%	4.7%	1
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,511	21	1.4%	4.9%	1
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,511	17	1.1%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,506	10	0.7%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,508	3	0.2%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,516	23	1.5%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,476	1	0.1%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,476	11	0.7%	3.2%	3
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,474	20	1.4%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,439	7	0.5%	3.1%	2
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,432	17	1.2%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,435	18	1.3%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,418	12	0.8%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,428	12	0.8%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,436	5	0.3%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,422	8	0.6%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,432	18	1.3%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,439	13	0.9%	3.1%	0

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

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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 29 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 27 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 21 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 14 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 11 pupils

Visual Impairment 6 pupils

Physical Disability 6 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 6 pupils

Hearing Impairment 5 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.

84.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

89.0%Positive

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

25.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree40%

agree45%

disagree8%

strongly disagree4%

don't know3%

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

strongly agree30%

agree39%

disagree25%

strongly disagree4%

don't know2%

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

strongly agree39%

agree27%

disagree8%

strongly disagree8%

don't know1%

not applicable18%

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

yes20%

no80%

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

strongly agree24%

agree43%

disagree19%

strongly disagree14%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree51%

agree37%

disagree8%

strongly disagree1%

don't know4%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree47%

agree37%

disagree7%

strongly disagree7%

don't know3%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree41%

agree48%

disagree6%

strongly disagree5%

don't know1%

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

strongly agree40%

agree46%

disagree10%

don't know4%

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

strongly agree56%

agree38%

disagree3%

strongly disagree3%

don't know1%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree39%

agree38%

disagree11%

strongly disagree6%

don't know7%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes84%

no16%

Top Secondary Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn

Requires improvement

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Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Faith Priority (Church of England)

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary 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 Secondary Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School

Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School

Pleckgate High School

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School

Darwen Vale High School