What schools serve Burnley?

There are 61 schools in Burnley, Lancashire, including Rockwood Nursery School, Rosegrove Nursery School, Ightenhill Nursery School, Stoneyholme Nursery School, Whitegate Nursery School and more. You can view each school's catchment area guidance and admissions policy on catchment.school.

How many primary and secondary schools are in Burnley?

Burnley has 34 primary schools and 5 secondary schools. There are also 22 other schools (such as all-through or special schools) in the area. All data is sourced from the Department for Education's GIAS register.

How do I find out if my address is in a school's catchment area in Burnley?

To check whether your address falls within a school's catchment area in Burnley, use the postcode search tool at catchment.school. Catchment area boundaries for Burnley schools are set by Lancashire and reviewed each year. You can also consult the school's admissions policy or contact the Lancashire admissions team directly for the most up-to-date boundary maps.

Who sets catchment area boundaries for schools in Burnley?

Catchment area boundaries for schools in Burnley are set by Lancashire as the admissions authority. Community and voluntary-controlled schools follow the council's published admissions policy, while academies and voluntary-aided schools may set their own. Boundaries are reviewed annually and published each September for the following academic year.

Schools in Burnley

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Burnley has 61 schools including 34 primaries and 5 secondaries administered by Lancashire County Council. With 19 faith schools across Church of England and Roman Catholic denominations, Burnley has one of the higher proportions of religiously-designated schools among Lancashire's market towns.

At oversubscribed Burnley community schools, Lancashire uses distance measured along the nearest available walking route rather than straight-line distance - a distinction that can affect who falls just inside or outside a catchment. Secondary places at the town's grammar-stream schools are allocated nationally through Lancashire's grammar co-ordination process.

School demand in Burnley

Across the 48 schools in Burnley with published capacity data, the average fill rate is 94%. 16 of them are currently at or above their published admission number, and at those schools catchment distance is likely to decide places at the next intake.

19 schools in Burnley have a religious character, so faith criteria sit alongside catchment distance in their admissions policies.

10 of the schools in Burnley are academies that set their own admissions criteria independently of Lancashire, so check each school's policy directly rather than assuming the council default applies.

21 of the schools in Burnley have a current Ofsted rating, of which 17 are rated Good or Outstanding. Demand and catchment distance tend to be tightest at the highest-rated schools.

Primary schools in Burnley: 12 oversubscribed (34)

Padiham Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB12 8SJ

Ages 4-11 281 pupils Capacity 325

Briercliffe Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB10 2JU

Ages 5-11 396 pupils Capacity 420

Worsthorne Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB10 3LR

Ages 4-11 211 pupils Capacity 210

Burnley Lowerhouse Junior School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB12 6LN

Ages 7-11 204 pupils Capacity 240

Burnley Brunshaw Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB10 4PB

Ages 4-11 401 pupils Capacity 420

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB12 0BN

Ages 4-11 422 pupils Capacity 420

Rosegrove Infant School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB12 6HW

Ages 4-7 138 pupils Capacity 180

Barden Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB10 1JD

Ages 4-11 468 pupils Capacity 430

Heasandford Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB10 3DA

Ages 4-11 632 pupils Capacity 630

Whittlefield Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB12 0HL

Ages 4-11 206 pupils Capacity 210

Burnley Ightenhill Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB12 6ED

Ages 5-11 362 pupils Capacity 390

Reedley Primary School

Primary · Community school

Burnley · BB10 2NE

Ages 4-11 417 pupils Capacity 420

Higham St John's Church of England Primary School

Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Burnley · BB12 9EU

Ages 4-11 133 pupils Capacity 140

Read St John's CofE Primary School

Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Burnley · BB12 7PE

Ages 4-11 193 pupils Capacity 210

Hapton Church of England/Methodist Primary School

Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Burnley · BB11 5RF

Ages 4-11 125 pupils Capacity 130