Lower Darwen Primary School, based in Darwen, provides primary education, serving pupils aged 4 to 11. The school is a community school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Lower Darwen Primary School currently has around 389 pupils on roll, which is about 93% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 51.4% boys and 48.6% girls. Around 16.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 7.1%. Persistent absence is recorded at 19.8%. The school also includes resourced provision, supporting 13 pupils.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (83%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Milking Lane, Darwen, BB3 0RB |
| Website: | www.lowerdarwenprimary.co.uk |
| Telephone: | 0125455639 |
| School Type: | Community school |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Simone Addy |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 119120 |
Ofsted inspection date: 21/03/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 420 |
| Number of Pupils: | 389 |
| Number of Boys: | 200 |
| Number of Girls: | 189 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 7.1% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 19.8% | 8.2% |
| White British | 83.00% | 323 |
| Pakistani | 4.40% | 17 |
| Indian | 2.30% | 9 |
| White and Asian | 2.10% | 8 |
| Other Mixed | 1.80% | 7 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.30% | 5 |
| Other White | 1.00% | 4 |
| Other Asian | 1.00% | 4 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.80% | 3 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.80% | 3 |
| African | 0.80% | 3 |
| Unclassified | 0.80% | 3 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Black African | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longshaw Nursery School Crosby Road , BB2 3NF | 3out of 4 | 1,556 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Darwen Childrens Centre Winterton Road , BB3 0ER | - not rated | 2,155 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Brunel Nursery School Cambridge Street , BB1 1ES | 3out of 4 | 3,202 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Turncroft Nursery School Highfield Road , BB3 2DN | 4out of 4 | 3,271 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Darwen Primary School Milking Lane , Lower Darwen BB3 0RB | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St James' Church of England Primary School Off Stopes Brow , Lower Darwen BB3 0QP | - not rated | 727 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn Holmbrook Close , BB2 3UG | 3out of 4 | 1,020 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Higher Croft Community Primary School Fishmoor Drive , Higher Croft BB2 3UY | - not rated | 1,112 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Blackburn Road , BB3 0AA | 3out of 4 | 1,318 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwen Vale High School Blackburn Road , BB3 0AL | 3out of 4 | 514 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Darwen Vale High School Blackburn Road , BB3 0AL | - not rated | 1,140 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Everton High School Manxman Road , BB2 3ER | - not rated | 1,621 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Darwen Moorland High School Holden Fold , BB3 3AU | - not rated | 2,017 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Shadsworth High School Shadsworth Road , BB1 2HT | - not rated | 2,334 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dame Evelyn Fox Special School Roman Road , BB1 2LA | - not rated | 786 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Blackamoor Special School Roman Road , BB1 2LA | - not rated | 786 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Noorul Uloom Park Lee Rd , Blackburn BB2 3NY | - not rated | 1,928 yd | Other independent school | No | Girls | More About School |
| Markazul Uloom Park Lee Road , BB2 3NY | - not rated | 1,928 yd | Other independent school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Eden School Heys Lane , BB2 4NW | 3out of 4 | 2,010 yd | Free schools special | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.