School Chooser

The Heights Blackburn

Pupil referral unit / alternative provision · ages 5-16MixedFree schools alternative provision2 pupilsBlackburnBlackburn with Darwen
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Pupils from low-income families50%Far more than most schools
Places158 spare2 pupils, 160 places
Pupils per teacher5.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll2Census January 2026

The Heights Blackburn is a free schools alternative provision in Blackburn for boys and girls aged 5 to 16. It has 2 pupils and room for 160. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England.

Heys Lane, Blackburn, BB2 4NW01254 261655theheightsfreeschool.orgMrs Jen Ashworth head of schoolAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Blackburn with Darwen council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll2Census January 2026
Places1601% full
Pupils from low-income families50%50% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%2 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)50%£1,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls2 / 0
White British pupils100%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll232005
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals50%33%0%40%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support33%0%0%40%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans67%100%0%20%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers17.8full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher5.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants20.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,946
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.12024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£27,818England £7,128. Total £3.1m
Income per pupil£30,109England £7,587. Total £3.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£10,464England £3,405
Money in reserve58%A lot put by: £1.9m, £17k per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£252kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£27,818spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m24312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate87 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£169,000Blackburn with Darwen
Nearest bus stop60 mBank Hey School, 9 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Eden SchoolFree school100 m64Good 2023Compare
Blackburn the Redeemer CofE PrimaryChurch of England710 m416No overall grade 202497Compare
Meadowhead Junior SchoolCouncil880 m201Good 20199Compare
Meadowhead Community Infant School and NurseryCouncil0.7 miles169Good 202223Compare
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, BlackburnRoman Catholic0.8 miles1,051No overall grade 202550Compare
Longshaw Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school0.8 miles101Good 2024Compare
Longshaw Infant SchoolCouncil0.8 miles203Report card 202612Compare
St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England AcademyAcademy0.8 miles182No overall grade 20257Compare

Questions parents ask

Is The Heights Blackburn a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score The Heights Blackburn yet.

How many pupils does The Heights Blackburn have?

2 pupils aged 5 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 160 places, so it is 1% full.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Heys Lane, Blackburn, BB2 4NW
Telephone
01254 261655
Website
www.theheightsfreeschool.org
Head of School
Mrs Jen Ashworth
Type of school
Free schools alternative provision (Free schools alternative provision, free schools)
Phase
Pupil referral unit / alternative provision, ages 5-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Education Partnership Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Blackburn with Darwen
Ward
Ewood
Constituency
Blackburn
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
2 September 2013 (new provision)
URN
139413 · LAESTAB 8891102 · UKPRN 10041659

Where these figures come from