Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #11 in Blackburn with Darwen public Top 42% UK

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMrs Claire Bailey

corporate_fareALDRIDGE EDUCATION

location_onDarwen, BB3 3HD

language Visit Website phone 1254819500

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2025

groups

Students

1,106

trending_up

Attainment 8

36.5

leaderboard

GCSE Rank

#11 in Blackburn with Darwen

#2,916 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy is a Academy sponsor led secondary school in Darwen, serving ages 11-19. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards.

article

School Summary

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy is an academy sponsor led in Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen, admitting pupils aged 11-19. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of ALDRIDGE EDUCATION. The school has approximately 1,065 pupils on roll, of whom 37% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 36.5, placing the school #11 in Blackburn with Darwen and #2,916 of 3,216 nationally. 23.60% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 9.2% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 12 A-level subjects. 32.8% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 8.6% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.38 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2025. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Requires improvement, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.7× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 19.1:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 5.0 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

36.5

Grade 5+ E&M

23.60%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)9.2%

Entering EBacc17.30%

EBacc APS3.01

2024

Progress 8 Score

-0.77

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc13.50%

EBacc APS3.2

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.79

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

35.8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc15%

EBacc APS2.96

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.53

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

41.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc14%

EBacc APS3.4

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc9%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.37

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

42.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc20%

EBacc APS3.34

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.54

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

41.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc14%

EBacc APS3.2

explore

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

87%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)80%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)11%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)74%

Apprenticeships6%

Employment12%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)80%

Apprenticeships7%

Employment6%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)82%

Apprenticeships9%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)5%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

95%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)83%

Apprenticeships7%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

workspace_premium

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.38

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*1.7%

Achieving A*–A8.6%

Achieving A*–B32.8%

VA Banding Below average

Retention rate92.3%

A-level subjects offered12

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.07

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make broadly expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate97.60%

2023

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate94.40%

2022

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Retention rate97.2%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

20 May 2025

Inspection Report

picture_as_pdf Download PDF

14 December 2022

Inspection Report

picture_as_pdf Download PDF

23 May 2017

Inspection Report

picture_as_pdf Download PDF

16 January 2013

Inspection Report

picture_as_pdf Download PDF

09 July 2012

Inspection Report

picture_as_pdf Download PDF

26 January 2011

Inspection Report

picture_as_pdf Download PDF

15 March 2010

Inspection Report

picture_as_pdf Download PDF

Inspection Report

Inspection History

5 Evaluations

2025-05-20

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2022-12-14

S5 Inspection EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Requires improvement

Development

Good

Leadership

Requires improvement

2017-05-23

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2013-01-16

S5 Inspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2011-01-26

None EIF

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

6.4%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

4.3%(46 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,065 pupils. During this period, there were 68 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 6.4%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,065	68	6.4%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,055	39	3.7%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,062	138	13.0%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,068	129	12.1%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,073	44	4.1%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,129	159	14.1%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,106	93	8.4%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,091	89	8.2%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,182	63	5.3%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,195	127	10.6%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,175	125	10.6%	4.4%	1
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,222	12	1.0%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,203	9	0.7%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,199	37	3.1%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,247	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,247	20	1.6%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,245	42	3.4%	4.2%	2
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,285	16	1.2%	3.1%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,291	12	0.9%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,307	23	1.8%	3.8%	2
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,291	29	2.2%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,313	20	1.5%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,336	14	1.0%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,287	0	0.0%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,307	0	0.0%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,340	0	0.0%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

accessibility_new

psychology_alt

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 52 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 29 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 28 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 23 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 11 pupils

Physical Disability 7 pupils

Hearing Impairment 4 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 3 pupils

Visual Impairment 1 pupils

health_and_safety

Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

76.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

77.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

17.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree12%

agree43%

disagree25%

strongly disagree10%

don't know10%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree15%

agree44%

disagree28%

strongly disagree12%

don't know1%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree39%

agree21%

disagree10%

strongly disagree12%

don't know1%

not applicable16%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes17%

no83%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree40%

agree13%

disagree13%

strongly disagree27%

dont know7%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree30%

agree37%

disagree16%

strongly disagree7%

don't know10%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree31%

agree38%

disagree17%

strongly disagree6%

don't know8%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree27%

agree45%

disagree20%

strongly disagree8%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree35%

agree55%

disagree7%

strongly disagree2%

don't know1%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree37%

agree52%

disagree3%

don't know8%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree28%

agree38%

disagree17%

strongly disagree9%

don't know8%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes67%

no33%

Top Secondary Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

View all arrow_forward

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School

Outstanding

location_on Blackburn, BB2 7AD

emoji_events #1 in LA

Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School

Outstanding

location_on Blackburn, BB2 2LD

emoji_events #2 in LA

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy

Good

location_on Blackburn, BB2 2JR

emoji_events #3 in LA

Pleckgate High School

Outstanding

location_on Blackburn, BB1 8QA

emoji_events #4 in LA

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn

Requires improvement

location_on Blackburn, BB2 4SR

emoji_events #5 in LA

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School

Good

location_on Blackburn, BB2 6DF

emoji_events #6 in LA

View all schools in Blackburn with Darwen arrow_forward

School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School

Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School

St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy

Pleckgate High School

St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School