GCSE 2025/26
#2,783 of 3,312
Worse than 83% of schools in England
Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.
Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 30 Jan 2024
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 141321.
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 | 39 | 44.1 | 46.2 |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 54% | 60.3% | 64.8% |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 28.2% | 43.3% | 46.3% |
| Grade 7 or above in English and maths | 3.1% | 12.2% | 14.2% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 47.9% | 55.4% | 60.2% |
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 163 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils | 1,039 |
| Girls | 489 |
| Boys | 550 |
| Eligible for free school meals | 31.6% |
| First language not English | 3.8% |
| SEN support | 210 |
| EHC plan | 19 |
| Average class size | 23.6 |
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 | 9.8% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Persistent absence | 29.5% | 24.4% | 21.6% |
| Severe absence | 5.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Year 7) | 233 |
| Applications (Year 7) | 528 |
| First preference applications (Year 7) | 209 |
| First preference offers (Year 7) | 200 |
| Applications from another local authority (Year 7) | 8 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| School places | 1,200 |
| Pupils on roll | 1,057 |
| Unfilled places | 11.9% |
Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 17.5 |
| Pupils per adult | 11 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 59.4 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 13.35 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 44.17 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 60.4 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 45.4 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 9 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 6 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 4.1% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 3.2% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0% |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
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 | 87% |
| Staying in education | 77.6% |
| Further education | 66.7% |
| Not sustained | 10.4% |
| School sixth form | 5.7% |
| Sixth form college | 4.7% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.7% |
| Employment | 4.7% |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 mi | Primary | Lower Darwen Primary School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 21 Mar 2023. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 8 Jun 2016. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | St James' Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 29 Oct 2024. | |
| 0.8 mi | Primary | Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn | Voluntary aided school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 12 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. | |
| 1.0 mi | Primary | Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy | Academy converter | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 9 Jul 2025. | |
| 1.0 mi | Primary | Avondale Primary School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 5 Jun 2018. | |
| 1.0 mi | Primary | Longshaw Infant School | Community school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 6 Jan 2026. | |
| 1.1 mi | Primary | Blackburn the Redeemer CofE Primary | Voluntary aided school | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 17 Dec 2024. | |
| 1.1 mi | Nursery | Longshaw Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 26 Feb 2019. |
Darwen Vale High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 30 Jan 2024.
Darwen Vale High School ranks 2,783 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 83% of schools).
Darwen Vale High School has 1,039 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 1,200.
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.