Schools by area › Blackburn with Darwen › Darwen Vale High School
Darwen Vale High School
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Sponsored academy
Blackburn Road, Darwen BB3 0AL · darwenvale.com · 01254 223000
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Jan 2024
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 43.1
- average Attainment 8 score. Blackburn with Darwen 45.4, England 46
- Demand for places
- 0.9
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 1,039
- 87% of 1,200 places
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 31.6%
- First language not English
- 3.8%
- School census 2025/26
- Trust
- Aldridge Education
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 209 families put the school first and 233 places were offered; 96% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 233 | 209 | 0.9 | 96% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 235 | 218 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 236 | 258 | 1.1▲ | 82% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 235 | 251 | 1.1▲ | 88% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 232 | 207 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 43.1, and 40.4% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Blackburn with Darwen it was 45.4, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼43.1 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼40.4% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼57.8% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼10.6% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼3.60 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 5.7 | +2.6 |
| Sixth form college | 4.7 | +0.1 |
| Further education | 66.7 | −0.5 |
| Other education | 0.5 | — |
| Apprenticeship | 4.7 | −2.2 |
| Employment | 4.7 | −1.4 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 10.4 | −1.8 |
| Activity not captured | 2.6 | — |
Ofsted
Darwen Vale High School was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 30 January 2024, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 30 Jan 2024
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Mar 2020
Earlier inspections
Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 119763), which Ofsted links to this one.
September 2019 to November 2025
- Sept 2022Monitoring visitEffective action
- Mar 2021Monitoring visitEffective action
Mar 2020Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Nov 2017Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective Jun 2013Inadequate
Outcomes for pupils Inadequate Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate Leadership and management Requires improvement Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 119763)
What parents said
69% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (85 replies, to 6 January 2025).
- Recommend
- 69%
- Replies
- 85
- 8% · 6 Jan 2025
based on the 88% who raised concerns
based on the 46% who had a child bullied
based on 17 parents (20%) with SEND