Blackburn Central High School
Academy converter · 1,015 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.0
Free schools
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
- Pupils on roll
- 873of 1,000 places
- Free school meals
- 23.0%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 141
- Ofsted
- Some aspects not as strong, 5 March 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (URN 119838, until 31 August 2014).
What the data says
Of the 140 pupils who finished Year 11 at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in 2023, 35% stayed on in Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School’s own sixth form (Blackburn with Darwen average 17%), 40% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 87 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 71% went to university (Blackburn with Darwen 31%, England 37%), and 29% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
German is unusually popular at GCSE: 21% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
A level grades average C, below the England average of B-. The largest A level subjects are Psychology, Biology and Mathematics.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Blackburn with Darwen and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 140 | 2,152 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 91% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 86% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 35% | 17% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 10% | 12% | 13% |
| — further education college | 40% | 52% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 9% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 87 | 1,804 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 71% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 71% | 31% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 29% | 10% | 19% |
| Further education | 5% | 8% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 8% | 23% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 6% | 23% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 47.0 | 45.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 37% | 44% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 68% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 76% | 39% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.30 | 3.98 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 18% | 30% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 47.0 | 35.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 46.9 | 49.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 11% | 29% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 142 | 100% | 88% | 11% | 22% | 70% |
| English Literature | 141 | 100% | 86% | 14% | 21% | 80% |
| English Language | 141 | 100% | 89% | 18% | 20% | 83% |
| Combined Science | 116 | 82% | 65% | 9% | 9% | 66% |
| Business Studies | 80 | 57% | 18% | 8% | 20% | 78% |
| Religious Studies | 76 | 54% | 31% | 14% | 32% | 82% |
| Geography | 70 | 50% | 41% | 10% | 25% | 59% |
| History | 64 | 45% | 41% | 16% | 26% | 56% |
| Spanish | 58 | 41% | 19% | 3% | 27% | 47% |
| Computer Science | 47 | 33% | 13% | 11% | 30% | 49% |
| Design and Technology | 46 | 33% | 11% | 13% | 23% | 61% |
| Fine Art | 45 | 32% | 9% | 22% | 28% | 73% |
| German | 30 | 21% | 5% | 3% | 33% | 43% |
| Biology | 27 | 19% | 23% | 41% | 45% | 96% |
| Physical Education | 26 | 18% | 11% | 0% | 24% | 50% |
| Physics | 26 | 18% | 23% | 42% | 46% | 92% |
| Chemistry | 25 | 18% | 23% | 48% | 47% | 100% |
| French | 24 | 17% | 18% | 4% | 29% | 42% |
| Classical Civilisation | 17 | 12% | 1% | 0% | 40% | 41% |
| Latin | 5 | 4% | 1% | — | 74% | — |
| Music | 5 | 4% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Arabic | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 157 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 72 | 406 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 29.47 | 32.70 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C- | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 13% | 14% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 31 | 43% | 23% |
| Biology | 28 | 39% | 20% |
| Mathematics | 22 | 31% | 31% |
| Chemistry | 20 | 28% | 17% |
| Economics | 15 | 21% | 13% |
| Business Studies | 15 | 21% | 13% |
| Sociology | 11 | 15% | 13% |
| Philosophy | 11 | 15% | 1% |
| Computer Science | 8 | 11% | 5% |
| History | 7 | 10% | 13% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Classical Civilisation | — | — | 1% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | 2% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Latin | — | — | 0% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,036 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.5
Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio
Studio schools · sixth form · 275 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 34.7
Darwen Vale High School
Academy sponsor led · 1,039 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.1
Pleckgate High School
Academy sponsor led · 1,339 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.2
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn
Voluntary aided school · 1,051 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.4
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.