Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

62 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in Blackburn with Darwen

Primary

Offered their first choice 89.2%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 85.5% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 97.9%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,926
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 89.2% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 97.9% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 3.8 points higher than in 2016, when it was 85.5%.

The council's primary schools between them had 2,256 places for 1,926 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 78.9%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 74.7% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 94.1%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 2,116
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 78.9% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 94.1% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 4.2 points higher than in 2016, when it was 74.7%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 2,284 places for 2,116 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Blackburn with Darwen lodged 209 appeals about a school place.

159 of them were heard by a panel and 23 succeeded, which is about 14 in every 100 heard.

The other 50 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

Secondary

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Blackburn Central High School Blackburn	0.76	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy Darwen	0.88	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Darwen Vale High School Darwen	0.90	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy Blackburn	0.68	-	Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Pleckgate High School Blackburn	1.06	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Blackburn	0.75	-	Some aspects not as strong Ofsted ungraded inspection
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn Blackburn	1.27	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy Blackburn	1.16	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School Blackburn	2.03	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School Blackburn	2.08	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Witton Park Academy Blackburn	0.31	-	Needs attention Ofsted report card (current framework)

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in Blackburn with Darwen by first preferences per place
Schools in BB1 (26)
Schools in BB2 (29)
Schools in BB3 (16)
Schools in BL7 (5)
What data we hold