Ofsted: Outstanding trending_up Popular emoji_events #5 in Blackburn with Darwen public Top 10% UK

Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy

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

person Headteacher Amanda Whittingham (Headteacher)

corporate_fareWENSLEY FOLD CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY TRUST

location_onBlackburn, BB2 6LX

language Visit Website phone 01254667449

verified

Ofsted

Outstanding

Inspected 2023

groups

Students

421

school

Expected Standard

82%

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Demand Ratio

1.4x

summarize

Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is a Academy converter primary school in Blackburn, serving ages 3-11. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted — the highest possible grade. Demand is above capacity (1.4×) — apply through your local authority on time. Ranks in the top 10% of primary schools nationally.

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School Summary

Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is an academy converter in Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, admitting pupils aged 3-11. It is part of WENSLEY FOLD CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY TRUST. The school has approximately 463 pupils on roll, of whom 10% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, 82% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined. The school ranks #5 of 51 primaries in Blackburn with Darwen and #1,931 of 14,159 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2023. The school's current overall rating is Outstanding. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Outstanding, behaviour and attitudes Outstanding, personal development Outstanding, and leadership and management Outstanding.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.4× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 25.7:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 0.1 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

82%

LA 61%

Reading89% LA 73%

Writing85% LA 70%

Maths92% LA 74%

Read SS

108

Maths SS

108

GPS SS

112

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

70%

LA 57%England 61%

Reading77% LA 70% · Eng 74%

Writing77% LA 67% · Eng 72%

Maths90% LA 72% · Eng 73%

Read SS

106

Maths SS

107

GPS SS

111

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

75%

LA 57%England 60%

Reading78% LA 70% · Eng 73%

Writing83% LA 69% · Eng 71%

Maths92% LA 72% · Eng 73%

Read SS

106

Maths SS

108

GPS SS

111

Progress (0 = national avg)

-0.4

Read

LA -0.5

-2.0 to 1.2

0.7

Write

LA 0.0

-0.8 to 2.3

2.8

Maths

LA -0.1

1.3 to 4.3

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

75%

LA 63%England 65%

Reading80% LA 72% · Eng 73%

Writing88% LA 77% · Eng 78%

Maths88% LA 79% · Eng 79%

Read SS

105

Maths SS

106

GPS SS

111

Progress (0 = national avg)

1.4

Read

LA 0.4

-0.1 to 3.0

1.5

Write

LA 0.4

0.0 to 2.9

1.9

Maths

LA 0.8

0.5 to 3.3

2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

70%

LA 62%

Reading80% LA 73%

Writing85% LA 75%

Maths75% LA 76%

Read SS

104

Maths SS

104

GPS SS

107

Progress (0 = national avg)

1.4

Read

LA 0.1

-0.1 to 2.9

2.6

Write

LA 0.4

1.2 to 4

2.1

Maths

LA 0.6

0.7 to 3.5

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Ranking History & Trajectory

National & Local Authority position based on DfE performance data · Methodology

Year	Primary Overall (Nat)	LA Rank	Attainment	Progress
2025	#1,931 / 14,159	#5	#1,285	#1
2024	#2,169 / 14,233	#13	#4,029	#1
2023	#2,056 / 13,940	#8	#2,279	#4,444
2019	#1,216 / 11,810	#4	#3,375	#2,598
2018	#1,547 / 10,972	#8	#4,668	#1,937

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

13 September 2023

Inspection Report

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04 April 2013

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2023-09-13

S5 Inspection EIF

Outstanding

Education

Outstanding

Behaviour

Outstanding

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Outstanding

verified_user Safeguarding: Met

2009-06-26

Section 5 RTI Historic EIF

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

2006-02-28

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

0.2%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

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

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.2%(1 pupils)

Spring term 2025

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

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 1.225% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 473 pupils. During this period, there were 1 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 0.2%, which is below the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg
2024/25 (Spring term)	473	1	0.2%	0.8%
2024/25 (Autumn term)	459	0	0.0%	0.9%
2023/24 (Summer term)	470	0	0.0%	0.8%
2023/24 (Spring term)	454	4	0.9%	0.7%
2023/24 (Autumn term)	420	0	0.0%	0.8%
2022/23 (Summer term)	421	2	0.5%	0.7%
2022/23 (Spring term)	421	1	0.2%	0.6%
2022/23 (Autumn term)	421	0	0.0%	0.6%
2021/22 (Summer term)	421	0	0.0%	0.5%
2021/22 (Spring term)	420	0	0.0%	0.5%
2021/22 (Autumn term)	421	0	0.0%	0.5%
2020/21 (Summer term)	421	0	0.0%	0.4%
2020/21 (Spring term)	421	3	0.7%	0.1%
2020/21 (Autumn term)	421	0	0.0%	0.4%
2019/20 (Summer term)	419	0	0.0%	0.0%
2019/20 (Spring term)	419	0	0.0%	0.4%
2019/20 (Autumn term)	419	0	0.0%	0.6%
2018/19 (Summer term)	420	0	0.0%	0.4%
2018/19 (Spring term)	418	0	0.0%	0.5%
2018/19 (Autumn term)	417	0	0.0%	0.5%
2017/18 (Summer term)	420	0	0.0%	0.5%
2017/18 (Spring term)	421	0	0.0%	0.4%
2017/18 (Autumn term)	419	0	0.0%	0.5%
2016/17 (Summer term)	392	0	0.0%	0.4%
2016/17 (Spring term)	392	0	0.0%	0.4%
2016/17 (Autumn term)	390	0	0.0%	0.5%

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 47 pupils

Physical Disability 5 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 4 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 1 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 1 pupils

Hearing Impairment 1 pupils