Find the best primary schools in Burnley. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Burnley has 30 primary schools, all in Lancashire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 30, 15 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Burnley primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Rosegrove Infant School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Primary School, Padiham | Roman Catholic | 4.1 / 5 |
| Casterton Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Barden Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Hapton Church of England/Methodist Primary School | Church of England/Methodist | 3.9 / 5 |
| Wellfield Methodist and Anglican Church School | Church of England/Methodist | 3.8 / 5 |
| St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.8 / 5 |
| Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School |
There are 30 primary schools in Burnley.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Burnley, that council is Lancashire. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 30 primary schools in Burnley, 15 have a religious character: 7 Church of England, 6 Roman Catholic and 2 Church of England/Methodist. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Rosegrove Infant School (4.1), St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Primary School, Padiham (4.1), Casterton Primary Academy (4.0), Barden Primary School (3.9) and Hapton Church of England/Methodist Primary School (3.9). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. All 30 schools here have a rating.
| Mixed |
| 3.8 / 5 |
| Christ The King Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.7 / 5 |
| Rosewood Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| St John's CofE Primary School, Cliviger | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Worsthorne Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| St John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Augustine of Canterbury RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.4 / 5 |
| Heasandford Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Burnley Springfield Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Burnley Ightenhill Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Briercliffe Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Padiham Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Burnley Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| St James' Lanehead Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 2.8 / 5 |
| Burnley Brunshaw Primary School | Mixed | 2.5 / 5 |
| Whittlefield Primary School | Mixed | 2.4 / 5 |
| Burnley St Stephen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 2.2 / 5 |
| Padiham Green Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.2 / 5 |
| Burnley Lowerhouse Junior School | Mixed | 2.1 / 5 |
| Cherry Fold Community Primary School | Mixed | 1.8 / 5 |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.