OFSTED
30 January 2024
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Good
OEIF
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy sponsor led
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Does not apply
Local authority
Blackburn with Darwen
Trust
ALDRIDGE EDUCATION
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,039
1,039 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
489
47.1% of pupils
Male pupils
550
52.9% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
6.8 pts
above England
School
31.6%
Blackburn with Darwen
25.6%
North West
28.5%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
16.5 pts
below England
School
3.8%
Blackburn with Darwen
36.4%
North West
18.1%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.3 pts
below England
School
0.7%
Blackburn with Darwen
0.4%
North West
0.8%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
88.4%
918
Unclassified
4.8%
50
Any other ethnic group
2.4%
25
Any other White background
1.6%
17
Any other Mixed background
1.1%
11
Any other Asian background
0.3%
3
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
22.0%
229 of
1,039 pupils
1.2 pts
above England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
5.4 pts
above
England
6.0%
4.2 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
43.1
3.9 pts
above England
Latest published: -0.29 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
10.15%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
3.94 pts
higher than
England
School
10.15%
Blackburn with Darwen
6.47%
North West
6.25%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
29.11%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
13.30 pts
higher than
England
School
29.11%
Blackburn with Darwen
17.93%
North West
15.89%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
5.79%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
3.98 pts
higher than
England
School
5.79%
Blackburn with Darwen
1.96%
North West
1.75%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
86.6%
5.7 pts
below England
Darwen Vale High School
86.6%
Blackburn with Darwen
94.1%
North West
91.8%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.