Darwen Vale High School
| Type | Secondary |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Blackburn Road Darwen Lancashire BB3 0AL |
| Phone | 01254223000 |
| Reference Number | 141321 |
Description
betaDarwen Vale High School, located in the picturesque town of Darwen, Lancashire, is a coeducational secondary institution that delivers education to children aged 11 to 16. Established in 1894 as Darwen Higher Grade School, it's since transitioned through phases of renaming to become Darwen Grammar School in 1929 and eventually Darwen Vale High School following a complete reorganization in 1972.
Now an academy under the multi-academy trust of Aldridge Education since 2014, the school takes pride in its specialization in fields such as dance, STEM, and engineering. Its curriculum encompasses state-of-the-art facilities at its new Blackburn Road site, which reflects these areas of focus.
Darwen Vale High School benefits from a rich heritage that includes notable alumni like diplomat Norman Aspin and physicist Alan Walsh, as well as professional chemist Sue Gibson and footballers Lou Almond and others. The school's dedication to excellence in education and extracurricular activities is evidenced by its commitment to incorporating local businesses into its programs, fostering strong, beneficial relationships.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1078 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 52.78%
Girls: 47.22% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 29.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 7% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 26.1 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 127 | 112 | 239 |
| 8 | 108 | 127 | 235 |
| 9 | 110 | 78 | 188 |
| 10 | 121 | 103 | 224 |
| 11 | 103 | 89 | 192 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 89.1% |
| Unclassified | 2.5% |
| Pakistani | 1.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.4% |
| Asian, Other | 0.8% |
| White, Other | 0.7% |
| White & Asian | 0.4% |
| Chinese | 0.3% |
| Indian | 0.3% |
| African | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Inspection Date | 2024-03-12 |
| Date | Description | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-30 | School inspection: | School inspection: |
| 2022-09-22 | Monitoring visit | Monitoring visit |
| 2021-03-16 | Monitoring visit | Monitoring visit |
| 2020-03-03 | School inspection: | School inspection: |
| 2017-11-15 | Full inspection: | Full inspection: |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 43.8 | Unlock | Unlock |
Progress 8 Score
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| School Score | Percentile (loc) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| -0.15 | Unlock | Unlock |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Sample
UnlockProgress 8 Score
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
Data relates to students who sat their GCSE's in 2022 and was last updated in May 2024.
| Staying in Education | Unlock |
| > Further Education | Unlock |
| > School Sixth Form | Unlock |
| > Sixth Form College | Unlock |
| > Other Education | Unlock |
| Apprenticeships | Unlock |
| Employment | Unlock |
| Not in education or employment | Unlock |
| Unknown | Unlock |
| Name | Distance |
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|
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|
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|
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0.84 miles |
|
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0.89 miles |
|
Longshaw Infant School
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0.96 miles |
|
St James' Church of England Primary School
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1.11 miles |
|
Longshaw Community Junior School
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1.3 miles |
|
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1.34 miles |
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1.35 miles |
|
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1.41 miles |
|
St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy
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1.5 miles |
|
Holy Trinity VC School
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1.54 miles |
|
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1.73 miles |
|
Sudell Primary School
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1.74 miles |
|
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1.77 miles |
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| Name | Distance |
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1.4 miles |
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1.54 miles |
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Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
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1.71 miles |
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2.16 miles |
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2.17 miles |
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2.53 miles |
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2.7 miles |
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2.97 miles |
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3.31 miles |
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Pleckgate High School
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3.64 miles |
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Rhyddings
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4.47 miles |
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4.79 miles |
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4.85 miles |