Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
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Darwen Aldridge Community Academy is a sponsored academy in Darwen for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 1,036 pupils and room for 1,600. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 9 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Sudell Road, Darwen, BB3 3HD01254 819500daca.uk.comMr Allan Glover principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 May 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
191 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 191 | 208 | 210 | 214 | 185 | 169 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 36.5 | 39.0 | 35.8 | 41.2 | 42.4 | 41.4 | 46.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.77 | -0.79 | -0.53 | -0.37 | -0.54 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 24% | 32% | 26% | 35% | 34% | 26% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 50% | 54% | 48% | 56% | 59% | 51% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.01 | 3.20 | 2.96 | 3.40 | 3.34 | 3.20 | 4.12 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 17% | 14% | 15% | 14% | 20% | 14% | 43% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 26.5 | 29.2 | 23.9 | 30.9 | 40.0 | 38.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 41.0 | 42.6 | 40.1 | 44.9 | 43.3 | 42.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 23.8 | 19.7 | 27.0 | 22.1 | 20.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 56.4 | 58.6 | 58.6 | 53.2 | 52.0 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 21 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Statistics (7% here, 51% across England), Biology (38% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (38% here, 81% across England), Physics (39% here, 82% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 185 | 14% | 41% | 61% | 54% | 2,531 of 3,210 |
| Mathematics | 184 | 5% | 29% | 56% | 53% | 2,990 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 183 | 7% | 35% | 54% | 58% | 2,922 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 128 | 4% | 20% | 38% | 36% | 2,644 of 3,084 |
| History | 99 | 8% | 30% | 46% | 52% | 2,764 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 76 | 11% | 24% | 40% | 51% | 2,862 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 67 | 15% | 49% | 61% | 58% | 1,876 of 2,818 |
| Chemistry | 56 | 5% | 38% | 55% | 81% | 2,457 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 56 | 7% | 39% | 55% | 82% | 2,476 of 2,546 |
| Biology | 53 | 11% | 38% | 59% | 82% | 2,507 of 2,570 |
| Physical Education | 43 | 14% | 51% | 84% | 56% | 917 of 1,559 |
| Social Studies | 41 | 10% | 24% | 34% | 54% | 970 of 1,043 |
| Computer Science | 31 | 13% | 39% | 48% | 56% | 1,377 of 1,861 |
| Design & Technology | 27 | 0% | 30% | 59% | 50% | 1,164 of 1,478 |
| Spanish | 25 | 24% | 80% | 96% | 54% | 229 of 1,941 |
| Religious Studies | 24 | 33% | 58% | 88% | 60% | 1,055 of 1,825 |
| French | 16 | 19% | 56% | 69% | 60% | – |
| Film Studies | 15 | 7% | 47% | 73% | 52% | – |
| Statistics | 15 | 0% | 7% | 7% | 51% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 12 | 42% | 42% | 42% | 49% | – |
| Music | 8 | 13% | 38% | 75% | 61% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
33 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 33 | 54 | 77 | 69 | 222 | 256 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 25.00 | 29.95 | 26.90 | 33.17 | 29.87 | 34.34 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C | C- | C+ | C | C+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 24.17 | 32.08 | 27.31 | 33.19 | 30.56 | 36.44 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 0% | 17% | 12% | 13% | 3% | 17% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.38 | -0.07 | – | – | +0.10 | +0.20 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 26.38 | 30.49 | 26.13 | 32.47 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 92% | 98% | 94% | 97% | 92% | 73% |
A level subjects
5 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
435 places were empty (29% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 10% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Blackburn with Darwen council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (67), Specific learning difficulty (42), language and communications needs (37), Moderate learning difficulty (26), Autistic spectrum disorder (18), Physical disability (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,036 | 1,065 | 1,068 | 1,106 | 1,195 | 1,203 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 32% | 30% | 28% | 26% | 24% | 21% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 18% | 17% | 13% | 10% | 9% | 6% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 13% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 10% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 11.1% | 11.3% | 11.2% | 12.1% | 5.7% | 5.8% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.9% | 6.1% | 7.1% | 9.2% | 4.7% | 4.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.3% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 1.0% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 35.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% | 38.4% | 17.9% | 15.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 20.3 | 29.1 | 30.8 | 26.4 | 4.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 210 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 66%, compared with 94% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 87% | 88% | 91% | 94% |
| Education | 80% | 74% | 80% | 82% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6% | 7% | 9% |
| Work | 4% | 8% | 5% | 3% |
| Not in education, work or training | 11% | 8% | 7% | 5% |
After sixth form
Where the 67 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 45% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 79% | 73% | 85% | – |
| Education | 45% | 42% | 61% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 10% | 10% | 13% | 0% |
| Work | 24% | 22% | 11% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 16% | 18% | 13% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio | Studio schools | 570 m | 275 | Report card 2026 | 12 | Compare |
| Darwen Vale High School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,039 | Good 2024 | 31 | Compare |
| Blackburn Central High School | Academy | 3.1 miles | 1,015 | Good 2022 | 33 | Compare |
| St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn | Roman Catholic | 3.2 miles | 1,051 | No overall grade 2025 | 50 | Compare |
| Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy | Academy | 3.3 miles | 770 | Requires improvement 2023 | 1 | Compare |
| Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School | Free school | 3.5 miles | 746 | Outstanding 2024 | 99 | Compare |
| St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy | Academy | 3.6 miles | 1,483 | Good 2023 | 69 | Compare |
| Witton Park Academy | Academy | 3.9 miles | 1,243 | Report card 2026 | 4 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Darwen Aldridge Community Academy with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips High School | Academy | 12.2 miles | 868 | Requires improvement 2022 | 66 | Compare |
| St John Fisher Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 12.2 miles | 998 | Report card 2026 | 17 | Compare |
| Co-op Academy Swinton | Academy | 13.3 miles | 931 | Good 2024 | 27 | Compare |
| Moorside High School | Academy | 13.7 miles | 1,129 | Report card 2026 | 23 | Compare |
| Hawkley Hall High School | Academy | 13.8 miles | 1,170 | No overall grade 2024 | 33 | Compare |
| Dixons Middleton Academy | Academy | 15.4 miles | 1,319 | Good 2024 | 16 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 9 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 9% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 12. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.19 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 191 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | below | -0.10 | Ofsted grade, 1.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.26 | DfE progress measure; 191 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.06 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.09 | 2024/25; 1,008 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.19 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 191 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | below | -0.04 | 210 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Darwen Aldridge Community Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Darwen Aldridge Community Academy scores 9 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 12, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Darwen Aldridge Community Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Darwen Aldridge Community Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 20 May 2025.
How good are Darwen Aldridge Community Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 24% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 36.5, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Darwen Aldridge Community Academy have?
1,036 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,600 places, so it is 65% full.
Is Darwen Aldridge Community Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 435 places were empty in 2024/25 (29% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy?
Pupils were in school 88.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 36% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy?
The average class had 21.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 27% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Darwen Aldridge Community Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 5 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Sudell Road, Darwen, BB3 3HD
- Telephone
- 01254 819500
- Website
- www.daca.uk.com
- Principal
- Mr Allan Glover
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Aldridge Education (9 schools)
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Ward
- Darwen East
- Constituency
- Rossendale and Darwen
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2 September 2008 (new provision)
- URN
- 135580 · LAESTAB 8896905 · UKPRN 10024130
- Formerly
- Darwen Moorland High School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.