Darwen Aldridge Community AcademyAldridge UTC Darwen
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Darwen.
Summary of the comparison
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy and Aldridge UTC Darwen are secondary schools in Darwen.
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy scores 42 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Aldridge UTC Darwen scores 42 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Our score is the same for each of them on the data available.
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy was judged the expected standard and Aldridge UTC Darwen was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 36.8 for Darwen Aldridge Community Academy and 31.7 for Aldridge UTC Darwen.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (41.2 in 2021-22, 36.8 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Aldridge UTC Darwen (33.9 in 2021-22, 31.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | DarwenDarwen Aldridge Community Academy | DarwenAldridge UTC Darwen | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D42/100 | D42/100 | |
| Local ranking | 9th of 12 in Blackburn with Darwen Stronger figure | 10th of 12 in Blackburn with Darwen | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Studio schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-19 | 13-19 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,036 | 275 | |
| Capacity | 1,600 | 300 | |
| Location | Darwen, BB3 3HD | Darwen, BB3 1AF | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 36.8 Stronger figure | 31.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 21.4% Stronger figure | 19.4% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 46.4% Stronger figure | 35.5% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 168 | 62 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 29 | 17 | |
| A-level average points | 24.6 | 37.0 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | D+ | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 21.5 | 25.7 Stronger figure | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 0.0% | 0.0% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,065 | 264 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 36.8% | 47.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 16.7% | 2.3% | |
| SEN support | 13.4% | 29.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.4% | 6.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 11.1% Stronger figure | 18.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 35.7% Stronger figure | 56.3% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
Aldridge UTC Darwen
Full profiles: Darwen Aldridge Community Academy · Aldridge UTC Darwen