Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Review 2026

This is an 11 to 16, mixed, state-funded Catholic secondary serving Burnley and the surrounding area. It sits within the Romero Catholic Academy Trust, having joined the trust on 01 March 2020.

The college is popular locally. For Year 7 entry, 843 applications were made for 245 offers in the most recent demand data, which equates to 3.44 applications per place. First-preference demand also exceeds places, indicating that many families name it as a genuine first-choice option. (Admissions data in this review reflects the latest available application cycle.)

The most recent Ofsted inspection (26 to 27 September 2023) judged the college Requires Improvement overall, with Good judgements for behaviour and attitudes and for personal development.

A clear theme is a school that wants pupils to take responsibility, not just follow rules. Students are encouraged to contribute to the community through structured roles and student-led initiatives. The 2023 inspection describes pupils taking pride in responsibility and highlights a student initiative focused on challenging prejudicial language, which signals a culture that wants pupils to be active participants in shaping standards.

Day-to-day conduct is generally calm and organised. Movement between lessons is explicitly structured, including the use of calming music as a cue to transition promptly, which aligns with a school that is trying to reduce low-level disruption and protect learning time.

Leadership is stable and clearly signposted to parents. Deborah Williams is the headteacher, and the college publishes a wider leadership structure that includes a deputy headteacher and multiple assistant headteachers. A governance listing shows Deborah Williams appointed as headteacher governor from 01 December 2022, which supports the picture of leadership established in the current phase of improvement.

As a Catholic school, faith life is part of the rhythm of the week rather than an add-on. The admissions documentation and inspection material place the school within the Diocese of Salford, and Catholic life is also inspected separately through the statutory denominational process. Families do not need to be intensely observant to feel welcome, but they should expect the Catholic character to be present in assemblies, liturgy, and the language of service.

Blessed Trinity’s current outcomes sit below the England picture in several key measures, and the school is candid, through external evaluation, that curriculum and assessment consistency is a work in progress.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the college is ranked 3,042nd in England and 3rd locally in Burnley. This places it below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools in England by this measure.

The attainment picture reinforces that. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 40.3. Progress 8 is -0.32, which indicates that, on average, students make less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally.

EBacc indicators are also modest. The average EBacc APS is 3.39, and 6.9% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc element reported.

What matters for families is not simply that these figures are lower, but why. The latest inspection evidence points to variability between subjects and a curriculum that is at different stages of development, which helps explain why outcomes are not yet consistently strong across the board.

The improvement story here is curriculum ambition, and the unfinished work is coherence.

In the strongest subjects, the essential knowledge students need is set out carefully from Year 7 to Year 11, which supports clear lesson design and purposeful assessment. In weaker areas, the process of identifying and sequencing what matters most is incomplete, which can lead to learning activities that are less focused on the core knowledge students need to retain.

Assessment is the other moving part. Where assessment aligns tightly with the intended curriculum, gaps are identified early and addressed. Where that alignment is still developing, pupils can accrue misunderstandings without teachers spotting them in time. For parents, the practical implication is that the experience can vary by subject and by year group, even within the same school.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities appears well-structured. External evaluation notes rigorous identification systems and rapid adaptation as needs increased, with staff using information about pupils’ needs to keep them accessing the curriculum alongside peers. That is a meaningful strength in a mainstream setting, particularly for families who want inclusion to be practical rather than aspirational.

Reading and literacy support is present, but its impact is not consistently checked, and the report indicates that older pupils who need reading support do not always receive it in Key Stage 4. Families of children with weaker literacy should ask how screening works, how interventions are staffed, and what happens if a pupil is still struggling in Years 10 and 11.

With an 11 to 16 age range, the main transition is post-16. The college positions careers guidance as a priority, and external evaluation points to a comprehensive programme that aims to raise aspirations and connect pupils with employers.

For most students, the pathway is likely to be local sixth form colleges, further education colleges, apprenticeships, or training routes. The school’s emphasis on technical and apprenticeship information is relevant even without an on-site sixth form, particularly for pupils who benefit from a clear plan earlier than Year 11.

A practical question for families is how the school supports decision-making for different starting points. Students aiming for A-level routes need strong subject advice, clear GCSE guidance, and early support with college applications. Students considering technical routes need meaningful employer encounters and high-quality information on entry requirements and progression options. The evidence suggests those structures exist, but families should ask how they are personalised, especially for pupils who are not already highly self-directed.

Demand is a defining feature. With 843 Year 7 applications for 245 offers, the school is oversubscribed, and competition for places is the limiting factor for many families.

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Lancashire’s local authority process, not directly by the school. For September 2026 entry, Lancashire indicates applications open on 01 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025. Offers follow the national timetable; in 2026 the offer date falls on a weekend, so Lancashire’s admissions service indicates offers are issued on the next working day, which is Monday 02 March 2026.

As a Catholic school, faith-based criteria can apply. The published admission arrangements for this intake state that applications must be made via the common application form by the national closing date, and that applicants seeking priority under faith criteria should provide evidence relating to Catholic baptism or full communion, alongside a supplementary form.

Open events matter because they are often where families understand ethos, routines, and expectations. The college publicised an Open Evening on 09 October 2025, which suggests October is a typical timing for Year 6 intake engagement. For 2026 entry, families should treat open evenings as typically autumn events and check the school’s current calendar for the precise date and booking arrangements.

If you are trying to judge realistic chances of entry, FindMySchool’s Map Search tool is useful for testing different addresses against typical travel patterns, even when schools do not publish a single definitive catchment radius.

Behaviour is a relative strength. The most recent inspection judgement for behaviour and attitudes is Good, and the narrative suggests that raised expectations have supported improvements in conduct. The practical benefit is that lessons are more likely to run smoothly, which matters most for pupils who are easily distracted or anxious in chaotic settings.

Personal development is also judged Good, and the school’s approach includes education around diversity and equality alongside structured opportunities for pupils to contribute. The inspection evidence is frank that a minority of pupils do not always treat others with the expected tolerance and respect, and that leaders are actively addressing this. For parents, this is best read as a school that is explicitly working on culture rather than assuming it will look after itself.

Safeguarding arrangements are recorded as effective in the most recent inspection, which is a baseline expectation and a necessary condition for everything else to function well.

Extracurricular life is presented as a core part of belonging, not a bolt-on. The college explicitly promotes participation and highlights a mix of enrichment and skills-based clubs.

Named examples include Science club, chess, and British Sign Language, which is a useful range because it covers academic enrichment, strategy-based activity, and communication skills. For a Year 7 pupil, this offers an immediate way to find a peer group beyond form and tutor structures, which can make the first term feel less daunting.

Music also has identifiable features. External evaluation references a group called Hope and Harmonies providing music during assemblies, and a Reader Leaders initiative supporting younger pupils with reading. These details matter because they show pupils being given structured roles, not simply invited to attend clubs.

Sport is organised and timetable-led, with clear facilities referenced, including a sports hall, an astro area for football, and a fitness room programme. The implication is straightforward, pupils who need routine and clear start and finish times tend to do better when activities are clearly scheduled and supervised.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The school day is published as starting at 08:35 and finishing at 15:15, Monday to Friday. The site remains open until 16:00 for pupils attending clubs or revision sessions.

For travel, families commonly use local bus routes and car drop-off, and the school publishes transport information for parents. Given the oversubscription picture, it is sensible to consider the reliability of the commute as part of school choice, especially for pupils who struggle with late arrivals or anxiety around travel.

• Requires Improvement overall. The latest inspection judgement is Requires Improvement, with weaknesses focused on the quality of education and leadership and management. Families who want consistently strong outcomes across all subjects should ask how curriculum and assessment consistency has strengthened since 2023.

• Outcomes remain below England average. Progress 8 is -0.32 and Attainment 8 is 40.3, which indicates that academic improvement is not yet fully reflected in results. Consider how the school supports catching up, particularly in Year 10 and Year 11.

• Literacy support is uneven for older pupils. Reading support exists but the most recent inspection evidence indicates it is not monitored tightly enough and is not used widely in Key Stage 4. If your child has weaker literacy, press for detail on interventions through to GCSE.

• Faith criteria can affect admissions. As a Catholic school, some priority categories depend on faith evidence and supplementary information. Families should read the admissions arrangements carefully and plan early for deadlines.

Blessed Trinity is a popular Catholic secondary for local families, with a settled behavioural picture and an improving approach to curriculum ambition. The limiting factor is that outcomes are still catching up with the school’s intent, and subject-to-subject consistency remains the key question.

It best suits families who want a faith-based, values-led secondary, who are prepared to engage with the school’s expectations, and who will ask targeted questions about curriculum, literacy support, and GCSE preparation. Admission is the hurdle; the experience is likely to work best for pupils who respond well to structure and clear routines.