What is Darwen Aldridge Community Academy's Ofsted rating?

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This is the overall judgement recorded under the inspection framework in use on the inspection date. Read the report for the findings and subsequent monitoring.

What does the admissions demand data show for Darwen Aldridge Community Academy?

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy recorded 128 first-choice applications and 145 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27. That is 0.9 first-choice applications per offer made. This is a historic demand signal, not an individual admission probability or a catchment boundary. Admission criteria, address, preferences and the applicant cohort also matter.

Does Darwen Aldridge Community Academy offer SEND support?

DfE data for Darwen Aldridge Community Academy lists these SEND need or provision categories: Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia), Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional & Mental Health, Speech, Language & Communication, Hearing Impairment, and 4 more categories. This does not guarantee a particular place or service. Contact the school's SENCO for its current provision.

What are Darwen Aldridge Community Academy's exam results?

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy's published exam results include: Average A-Level grade: C- (2024/25); 24% achieved grade 5+ in English and Maths GCSE; Attainment 8 score of 36.5. Check the result year before comparing schools.

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy

#11 in Best Secondary Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

Parent reviews

Pupils: 1,036
Ages: 11–19
Gender: Mixed
School type: Academy sponsor led

About

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy is a state-funded secondary school in Blackburn with Darwen, North West, for pupils aged 11 to 19 for boys and girls. DfE data records 1,036 pupils on roll and a published capacity of 1,600.

The latest recorded Ofsted overall judgement is Requires Improvement (20 May 2025). The published Attainment 8 score was 36.5 for 2024/25. The published A-level average grade was C- for 2024/25. Admissions data records 128 first-preference applications and 145 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27.

Reporting periods vary by source — Methodology.

School Rating

1/10

Classpot Rating

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy’s combined academic results and attendance score is in the much lower band compared with mainstream state secondary schools across England for 2024/25.

1/10Academic results

Much lower

The school’s Attainment 8 score was 36.5 in 2024/25. This measures average attainment across eight GCSE-level qualifications, using DfE’s subject weighting rules.

The score compares this result with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Academic attainment contributes 90% of the combined score. It measures exam or assessment results, not how much progress pupils made from their starting points.

2/10Attendance

Lower

Overall absence was 11.13% of possible school sessions in 2024/25. This includes authorised and unauthorised absence; it is not the percentage of pupils who were persistently absent.

The score compares absence with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Lower absence receives a higher score. Attendance contributes 10% of the combined score and does not on its own measure teaching quality.

NAPupil progress

Not available for 2024/25

DfE did not publish Progress 8 for 2024/25 because the required KS2 assessments were cancelled during the pandemic. Progress would compare pupils’ outcomes with those of pupils with similar earlier attainment.

Pupil progress is not included in this version of Classpot Rating. Its absence does not reduce the school’s score.

Methodology and official sources

Contact Information

01254819500 www.daca.uk.com

Sudell Road, Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen, BB3 3HD

Mr Allan Glover

Details

School Type: Secondary (State)
Age Range: 11 to 19 years
Gender: Mixed
Establishment type: Academy sponsor led
Local Authority: Blackburn with Darwen
Sixth Form: Yes

The full reporton this school

School admissions data, what the Ofsted report means for you, and how it compares to nearby schools.

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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

Not judged

Based on 20 May 2025 · Legacy grading · Open inspection report ↗

Inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Quality of education	Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership & management	Good
Sixth-form provision	Good

Previous inspection · 14 Dec 2022Legacy grading · Requires improvement

Previous inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Overall effectiveness	Requires improvement
Quality of education	Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes	Requires improvement
Personal development	Good
Leadership & management	Requires improvement
Sixth-form provision	Good

Published 9 Jul 2025.

Ofsted legacy grades; compare inspection dates and frameworks.

Catchment & distance

Distance unavailable; check admission criteria with the school or council.

Admissions

Application dates · 2027/28 entry
Measure	Value
School’s local authority	Blackburn with Darwen
Applications open	Usually 1 September 2026
Application deadline	31 October 2026
National offer day	1 March 2027

Apply through your home council; confirm local dates and any extra school forms.

Admissions demand · 2026/27
Measure	Value
Offers made on National Offer Day	145
First-preference applications	128
Applications (all preferences)	244
First-preference offers	128

Source: Published admissions data; follow each measure’s labelled basis, including all preferences where shown.

School performance

GCSE results

GCSE results · 2024/25
Measure	Value
Attainment 8 (average score)	36.5
English & maths: grades 9–4	49.7%
English & maths: grades 9–5	23.6%
EBacc entry	17.3%
EBacc grades 9–4	7.3%
EBacc grades 9–5	4.2%
EBacc average point score	3.01

DfE · 2024/25; compare the same year and measure (— unavailable or suppressed).

After age 16

A-level results

A-level results · 2024/25
Measure	Value
Average points per entry	25
Best three A-levels: average points	24.17
Value added	-0.38
Value added: lower confidence limit	-0.64
Value added: upper confidence limit	-0.11
AAB or higher (including two facilitating subjects)	0%
Pupils	28
Average grade	C-
Best three A-levels: average grade	D+
Published progress band	Below average

DfE · 2024/25; compare the same year and measure (— unavailable or suppressed).

Destinations after GCSE · 2022/23
Destination	Pupils
This school’s sixth form	19%
Sixth-form college	3.3%
Further education college	57.6%
Apprenticeship	2.9%
Employment	3.8%
Not sustained	11%
Unknown	2.4%

Cohort: 210 pupils · Sustained education or employment: 86.7%

DfE destinations follow school leavers, not current pupils.

Destinations after A-levels · 2022/23
Destination	Pupils
Higher education	44.3%
Further education	4.9%
Other education	0%
Apprenticeship	9.8%
Employment	26.2%
Not sustained	11.5%
Unknown	3.3%

Cohort: 61 pupils · Sustained education or employment: 85.2%

DfE destinations follow school leavers, not current pupils.

A-level subjects

2024/25 · Published entries

Psychology12 entries
Sociology11 entries
History8 entries
Biology5 entries
Fine Art5 entries
Geography4 entries
Chemistry3 entries
Photography3 entries
Physics3 entries

DfE subject entries; pupils may take multiple subjects.

Students and teachers

19.1 pupils per qualified teacher

2025/26 · Full-time equivalent teachers, not class size.

Students

Number of pupilsPeriod not recorded: 1036
School capacityPeriod not recorded: 1600
Free school meals (FSM)2025/26: 31.9%
English as an additional language (EAL)2025/26: 17.5%
Attendance2024/25: 88.87%
Persistent absence (10% or more of sessions)2024/25: 35.71%

Classes & attendance

Average class size2025/26: 21.8
Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25: 20.28
Suspensions (count)2024/25: 216
Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils2024/25: 0
Permanent exclusions (count)2024/25: 0

More pupil data

Absence breakdown
Measure	Value
Authorised absence2024/25	5.86%
Unauthorised absence2024/25	5.27%

Ethnic background · 2025/26
Group	Pupils
White British	69%
White other	2.9%
Mixed	2.6%
Asian	12.1%
Black	5.3%
Other	3.9%

DfE school, census, workforce, absence and exclusion data; periods vary, and missing values are not zero.

Published SEND Data

Autism
Dyslexia
Mental Health
Speech & Language
Hearing
Vision
Physical
Learning Difficulty
Other

DfE data; confirm current support with the school's SENCO.

Ofsted Parent View

75% would recommend this school

87 responses · Sep 2024 – Sep 2025

Parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Happy at school	75%
Feels safe	85%
Well behaved pupils	69%
Bullying dealt with	19%

Additional parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Aware of curriculum	70%
Concerns dealt with	57%
SEND support	56%
High expectations	80%
Child does well	84%
Progress updates	73%
Subject range	88%
Clubs & activities	83%
Personal development	65%

FAQ about Darwen Aldridge Community Academy

Results: Published results describe a past pupil cohort. Compare the same measure and reporting year; attainment and progress measure different things. Understanding secondary results.

Inspection: Read the inspection date and full report alongside the headline judgement. Schools inspected under different frameworks cannot be compared using a headline grade alone. Understanding Ofsted inspections.

Admissions: Applications and places describe past demand, not your child’s chance of an offer. Check the entry year and current admission criteria, including any priority groups. School admissions timeline.

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