Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School
Wheatley Lane Road, Nelson, BB9 6QT
121 pupils · 102% of 119 capacity
- Phase
- Primary
- Type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 4–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Free school meals
- 11.6%
Ofsted
Outstanding (2023) — Rated under the pre-September 2024 inspection system
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 26 September 2023, published 8 November 2023. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 88% |
| Reaching the higher standard | 13% |
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Oversubscribed — 1.35 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 17 | 23 | 75 | 17 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 17 | 16 | 86 | 17 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 17 | 27 | 74 | 17 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 17 | 25 | 86 | 17 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 17 | 21 | 67 | 17 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 16 | 20 | 88 | 16 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 17 | 27 | 88 | 17 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 17 | 20 | 94 | 17 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Barrowford School 0.7 km · Most areas: Needs attention (2026)
- Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson 1.1 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Lomeshaye Junior School 1.4 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Roughlee Church of England Primary School 1.5 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Bradley Primary School 1.5 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Whitefield Infant School and Nursery 1.6 km · No overall grade (2025)
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.