Darwen Vale High School
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Blackburn Road Darwen Lancashire BB3 0AL |
| Phone | 01254223000 |
| Reference Number | 141321 |
Darwen Vale High School has shown considerable improvement since its last inspection and is now rated as good overall. Pupils feel welcomed and supported, leading to a positive learning environment where they engage well with their education. The school has made significant strides in curriculum design with increased access to a broad range of subjects, and the majority of teachers are well-equipped to deliver effective lessons. This progress can be attributed to strong leadership and collaborative efforts between the school and the Aldridge Education trust, which aims to uphold high standards in education. Despite these strengths, there are areas for ongoing development. Some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) do not receive adequate support in certain subjects, which impacts their achievement. Additionally, the school needs to enhance its reading support programs, particularly for older pupils, and expand pupils' exposure to a diverse range of cultural experiences, which is currently limited. Nevertheless, the overall improvement reflects a commitment to fostering a nurturing and purposeful educational experience for all students.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1071 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 53.41%
Girls: 46.59% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 31.4% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 4.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 25.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 125 | 116 | 241 |
| 8 | 127 | 107 | 234 |
| 9 | 100 | 101 | 201 |
| 10 | 104 | 72 | 176 |
| 11 | 116 | 103 | 219 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 89.2% |
| Unclassified | 3.6% |
| White, Other | 1.3% |
| Pakistani | 1.1% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.9% |
| Asian, Other | 0.4% |
| Chinese | 0.3% |
| White & Asian | 0.3% |
| African | 0.3% |
| Indian | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Report Date | 30 Jan 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 30 Jan 2024 | School inspection: |
| 22 Sep 2022 | Monitoring visit |
| 16 Mar 2021 | Monitoring visit |
| 03 Mar 2020 | School inspection: |
| 15 Nov 2017 | Full inspection: |
Strengths
- Pupils feel welcome and supported.
- Strong improvements in curriculum design and subject accessibility.
- Effective behaviour management leading to a calm learning environment.
- High levels of engagement in extracurricular activities.
- Collaborative leadership contributing to enhanced educational standards.
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent support for some SEND pupils in certain subjects.
- Ineffective reading support for a small number of older pupils.
- Limited opportunities for pupils to learn about different cultures and the wider world.
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 43.1 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 40.4% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 56% |
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:
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 184 | 12 |
| Third Preference | 84 | 3 |
| From another Local Authority | 8 | 1 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Lower Darwen Primary School
Milking Lane, Lower Darwen, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0RB |
0.29 miles |
|
St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Blackburn Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0AA |
0.6 miles |
|
St James' Church of England Primary School
Off Stopes Brow, Lower Darwen, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0QP |
0.65 miles |
|
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Holmbrook Close, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3UG |
0.85 miles |
|
St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School
St Albans Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0HY |
0.86 miles |
|
Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy
St James Crescent, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0EY |
0.98 miles |
|
Avondale Primary School
Durham Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 1NN |
0.99 miles |
|
Longshaw Infant School
Crosby Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NF |
1.04 miles |
|
Blackburn the Redeemer CofE Primary
Jack Walker Way, Fernhurst Farm, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4JJ |
1.05 miles |
|
Longshaw Nursery School
Crosby Road, Blackburn, BB2 3NF |
1.15 miles |
|
Longshaw Community Junior School
Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NX |
1.37 miles |
|
Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary
Ellison Fold Terrace, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 3EB |
1.38 miles |
|
Holy Trinity VC School
Bank Top, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2RW |
1.4 miles |
|
Turncroft Nursery School
Highfield Road, Darwen, BB3 2DN |
1.57 miles |
|
Belthorn Academy Primary School
Belthorn Road, Belthorn, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2NY |
1.68 miles |
|
St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Bennington Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3HP |
1.71 miles |
|
Darwen St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Turncroft Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2BW |
1.71 miles |
|
Shadsworth Junior School
Blackburn With Darwen, Shadsworth Junior School, Arran Avenue, Lancashire, BB1 2ET |
1.75 miles |
|
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Darwen
Limes Avenue, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2SG |
1.79 miles |
|
Audley Junior School
Queen's Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1SE |
1.81 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Crosshill Special School
Salisbury Road, Darwen, BB3 1HZ |
1 miles |
|
Eden School
Heys Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4NW |
1.27 miles |
|
Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio
Police Street, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 1AF |
1.3 miles |
|
Markazul Uloom
Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NY |
1.39 miles |
|
Noorul Uloom
Park Lee Rd, Blackburn, BB2 3NY |
1.39 miles |
|
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
Sudell Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 3HD |
1.48 miles |
|
Newfield School
Old Bank Lane, Off Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2PW |
1.6 miles |
|
Blackburn Central High School
Haslingden Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3HJ |
1.62 miles |
|
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
North Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1PY |
1.94 miles |
|
Al Islah Girls' High School
108 Audley Range, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1TF |
2 miles |
|
Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School
Sumner Street, Blackburn, BB2 2LD |
2.03 miles |
|
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn
Green Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4SR |
2.12 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
Duckworth Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2JR |
2.16 miles |
|
Blackburn College
Blackburn College, Harrison Centre, Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LH |
2.42 miles |
|
Aurora Woodlands School
Woodlands, Holly Tree Close, Darwen, Lancashire, Lancashire, BB3 2NG |
2.46 miles |
|
Witton Park Academy
Buncer Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6TD |
2.52 miles |
|
Jamiatul-Ilm Wal-Huda UK School
30 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT |
2.76 miles |
|
Rawdhatul Ilm Wal Huda
32 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT |
2.8 miles |
|
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
West Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6DF |
2.86 miles |
|
Lower Pastures
Broadhead Road, Hoddlesden, Nr Darwen, BB3 3QP |
2.93 miles |