Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 28 April 2026
Compared with the local authority and England
The share of pupils reaching the standard expected for their age, and the share going beyond it.
| Measure | School | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing & maths — expected | 63% | 63% | 63% |
| Reading, writing & maths — higher | 5% | 6% | 8% |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling — expected | 80% | 77% | 73% |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling — higher | 34% | 33% | 30% |
A score of 100 is the expected standard; 110 or more is a higher standard.
| Subject | School | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 105 | 105 | 106 |
| Maths | 106 | 105 | 105 |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling | 106 | 106 | 105 |
School workforce census, 2025/26.
Ofsted inspected St Stephen's Church of England Primary School on 28 April 2026 using a report card, which grades each area separately and gives no overall grade. The school met Ofsted's safeguarding standards. It was graded Expected standard for inclusion, for personal development and wellbeing and for early years; Needs attention for achievement, for curriculum and teaching and for leadership and governance; Urgent improvement for attendance and behaviour.
Apply through the council where you live by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference, and offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day. As a Church of England school it may also ask for a supplementary form, and its admissions policy says whether it does.
No. Distance only counts when St Stephen's Church of England Primary School has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its governing body, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. As a Church of England school, it can give priority to children on grounds of faith. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
St Stephen's Church of England Primary School had 400 pupils aged 5 to 11 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 420. It is a mixed school.