Burnley school: ‘special measures’ to ‘over-subscribed’

A Burnley secondary school, placed in special measures just three years ago, now has a waiting list of pupils keen to secure a place.

Blessed Trinity RC Community College, making commendable progress, is now over-subscribed for the first time in many years.

It marks a remarkable recovery for the Ormerod Road school, which was taken out of special measures last year and praised by Ofsted inspectors.

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Two years ago, 225 children applied to join the school, 230 applied last year and this year the school has reached its capacity of 250.

Other Burnley schools Sir John Thursby and Unity College have also filled their allocation for the coming year.

Hameldon Community College in Burnley, though, has only 97 places of 150 filled so far, while Padiham’s Shuttleworth College has 126 of 210 places taken.

Overall, the figures are positive for local education chiefs in the light of the confirmation that an independent “free school” is to be built in Burnley – a move which opponents felt would adversely affect susbscriptions to the existing schools.

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The Burnley High School, which is due to open in September this year, has 90 places available.

Blessed Trinity headteacher Mr Richard Varey said: “I am very proud. People are starting to realise that they don’t need to leave Burnley for an excellent education.

“The standards have been raised over the last few years and we have had two excellent sets of GCSE results.”

Blessed Trinity was recently used as a model for behaviour for other schools in the United Kingdom by the Department for Education.

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