Blackburn with Darwen schools in numbers
How Blackburn with Darwen's 88 schools compare with North West and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools88open, all types
Pupils29,750on roll
Primary schools56
Secondary schools12
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 77 schools | 27.9% | 29.0% | 26.3% | 78thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 73 schools | 29.5% | 29.8% | 27.1% | 80thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 77 schools | 36.3% | 16.7% | 18.6% | 31stof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 78 schools | 15.9% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 28thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 78 schools | 10.7% | 12.7% | 11.6% | 105thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 67 schools | 26.1 | 24.9 | 25.0 | 120thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 67 schools | 12.5% | 11.5% | 10.6% | 114thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 75 schools | 19.5 | 19.1 | 19.0 | 107thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 76 schools | 14.2% | 13.5% | 15.0% | 63rdof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 72 schools | £51,883 | £51,081 | £51,377 | 47thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 71 schools | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 100thof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 70 schools | 93.5% | 93.7% | 93.8% | 97thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 70 schools | 18.0% | 15.9% | 15.8% | 109thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 70 schools | 7.9 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 100thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 75 schools | £8,689 | £9,291 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 75 schools | £3,805 | £4,183 | £4,229 | 133rdof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 76 schools | 9.2% | 6.6% | 8.3% | 58thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 76 schools | 11.8% | 15.2% | 14.1% | 60thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 12 schools | 45.8% | 42.3% | 46.1% | 66thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 12 schools | 46.8 | 45.3 | 47.0 | 59thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 51 schools | 61.4% | 61.3% | 63.1% | 105thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 51 schools | 6.0% | 7.1% | 8.3% | 129thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 72 schools | 19% | 15% | 13% | 13thof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 44 schools | 95% | 93% | 94% | 75thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 67 schools | 28% | 32% | 35% | 106thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 67 schools | 89.6% | 88.5% | 86.2% | 44thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 79 schools | 32% | 38% | 52% | 128thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 79 schools | 20.3% | 14.6% | 12.0% | 33rdof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
Blackburn with DarwenEngland
Since 2016: -1.8%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
Blackburn with DarwenEngland
Since 2019: +9.2%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
Blackburn with DarwenEngland
Since 2017: +0.6%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
Blackburn with DarwenEngland
Since 2016: +11.0%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
Blackburn with DarwenEngland
Since 2007: +6.9