GCSE 2025/26
#3,237 of 3,312
Worse than 97% of schools in England
Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.
A-level 2024/25
#771 of 2,536
Better than 69% of schools in England
Ranked by average points per A-level entry.
Ofsted report cardInspected 20 Jan 2026
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139924.
GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 31.7 | 44.1 | 46.2 |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 35.5% | 60.3% | 64.8% |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 19.4% | 43.3% | 46.3% |
| Grade 7 or above in English and maths | 0% | 12.2% | 14.2% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 30.6% | 55.4% | 60.2% |
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 62 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average points per A-level entry | 36.97 | 32.7 | 35 |
| Average A-level grade | B- | - | - |
| Average points, best three A-levels | 25.71 | 32.38 | 35.78 |
| Average grade, best three A-levels | C- | - | - |
| AAB or better | 0% | 13.7% | 17.5% |
| A-level progress score | 0.06 | - | - |
| A-level progress | Average | - | - |
| Students at the end of 16 to 18 study | 31 | - | - |
| Average applied general grade | Merit- | - | - |
Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils | 275 |
| Girls | 173 |
| Boys | 102 |
| Eligible for free school meals | 41.1% |
| First language not English | 2.2% |
| SEN support | 83 |
| EHC plan | 19 |
| Average class size | 20.6 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 19.1% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Persistent absence | 52% | 24.4% | 21.6% |
| Severe absence | 13.1% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| School places | 272 |
| Pupils on roll | 260 |
| Unfilled places | 4.4% |
| Sixth form places | 150 |
| Sixth form pupils on roll | 60 |
Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 14.8 |
| Pupils per adult | 9.8 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 18.6 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 4 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 12.49 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 19.4 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 14.6 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 0 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 4.8 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 21.6% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 11.7% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0.4% |
| Permanent exclusions | 1 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Sustained destination | 89.9% |
| Staying in education | 84.1% |
| Further education | 47.8% |
| School sixth form | 36.2% |
| Not sustained | 7.2% |
| Employment | 5.8% |
| Sixth form college | 0% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.
Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Not sustained | 52.8% |
| Sustained destination | 47.2% |
| Higher education | 36.1% |
| Employment | 8.3% |
| Further education | 2.8% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% |
Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mi | Primary | Holy Trinity VC School | Voluntary controlled school | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 18 Mar 2025. | |
| 0.4 mi | Secondary | Darwen Aldridge Community Academy | Academy sponsor led | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 20 May 2025. | |
| 0.5 mi | Primary | St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Darwen | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 7 Oct 2015. | |
| 0.5 mi | Primary | Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy | Academy converter | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 9 Jul 2025. | |
| 0.5 mi | Primary | Avondale Primary School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 5 Jun 2018. | |
| 0.5 mi | Nursery | Turncroft Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | Outstanding Ofsted rating. Inspected 19 Nov 2014. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary | Academy converter | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 17 Mar 2026. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | Darwen St Peter's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 6 May 2026. | |
| 0.9 mi | Primary | St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Requires improvement Ofsted rating. Inspected 1 May 2024. | |
| 1.1 mi | Primary | Ashleigh Primary School | Foundation school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 9 Oct 2012. |
Aldridge UTC Darwen is rated Good, last inspected on 20 Jan 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.
Aldridge UTC Darwen ranks 3,237 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 97% of schools) and 771 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 69% of schools).
Aldridge UTC Darwen has 275 pupils aged 13 to 19, with capacity for 272.
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.