Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio
| Type | Secondary / Studio schools |
| Age Range | 13-19 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | Police Street Darwen Lancashire BB3 1AF |
| Phone | 01254819567 |
| Reference Number | 139924 |
Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio is a small studio school within Aldridge Education Trust, taking pupils from Year 9 and serving a pupil population with high levels of disadvantage and SEND. Inspectors found a highly nurturing, inclusive school where pupils who have often had negative prior education experiences are well supported to reconnect with learning. Safeguarding standards are met, inclusion is a strong standard, and pupils benefit from a personalised approach, strong pastoral care, and a careers-focused curriculum built around creative, game design and care pathways. Pupils behave well, feel safe and known, and nearly all move into education, employment or training. Most other areas are judged at expected standard, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, leadership and governance, personal development, and post-16 provision. There are positive trajectories in post-16 attainment and improving attendance, but published key stage 4 outcomes remain below national averages, and overall and persistent absence are still well above national figures. Some pupils still do not attend regularly enough. In a few lessons, teachers' checks on learning are not consistently effective, and a minority of improvement priorities are not precise enough, slowing change. The report identifies three next steps: continue removing barriers to attendance, ensure assessment checks are used consistently well so misconceptions are addressed before learning moves on, and sharpen improvement planning so priorities are identified and acted on promptly. The school's inclusive practices, SEND support, employer-linked curriculum and strong pastoral care are notable strengths, while attendance and assessment consistency remain the main areas for further work.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 275 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 37.09%
Girls: 62.91% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 46.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 2.2% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 20.6 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 29 | 42 | 71 |
| 10 | 21 | 45 | 66 |
| 11 | 19 | 43 | 62 |
| 12 | 23 | 23 | 46 |
| 13 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 92% |
| White, Other | 1.5% |
| White & Asian | 1.5% |
| Unclassified | 1.1% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.7% |
| Pakistani | 0.7% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.4% |
| Chinese | 0.4% |
| Asian, Other | 0.4% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Strong standard |
| > Post-16 Provision | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 20 Jan 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 20 Jan 2026 | School inspection |
| 14 Sep 2021 | School inspection |
| 25 Mar 2015 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Inclusion is firmly embedded, with personalised support and strong identification of barriers to learning, including previously undiagnosed SEND.
- Transition arrangements gather detailed information about pupils before they join the school.
- Staff work effectively with external agencies and adapt tailored support to meet pupils' needs.
- Pupil premium funding is used judiciously, including additional tutoring for disadvantaged pupils.
- Pupils typically achieve well from their starting points, and nearly all move into education, employment or training.
- Specialist curriculum pathways in creative, game design and care are logically sequenced and delivered with industry experts.
- Attendance has improved over time, and persistent absence has reduced.
- A nurturing culture with consistent routines and behaviour expectations helps pupils feel known and improves behaviour.
- Teachers are highly skilled at adapting learning for pupils with SEND.
- Leaders and trustees share a strong moral purpose and provide robust challenge and support.
- Personal development is a strength, with strong careers provision, employer engagement, excellent pastoral care and raised aspirations.
- Post-16 provision is well matched to students' needs, with work-based learning, industry-standard equipment and attainment close to average.
- Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.
Areas for Improvement
- Published key stage 4 outcomes are below national averages and do not fully reflect pupils' progress from their starting points.
- A significant number of pupils still do not attend regularly enough, and overall and persistent absence remain well above national averages.
- In some lessons, teachers' checks on learning are not consistently effective, and teaching occasionally moves on before pupils are ready.
- A minority of improvement priorities are not precise enough, so the pace of change in those areas is slower than leaders intend.
- A minority of post-16 students do not sustain their destinations after leaving.
- Many pupils join the school with gaps in numeracy and reading knowledge, requiring targeted catch-up support.
Points
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 36.97 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 25.71 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | B- | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | C- | C- | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 0% |
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