Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
Academy sponsor led in Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen.
School details
| Phase | Secondary |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy sponsor led |
| Age range | 11 to 19 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective |
| Sixth form | Has a sixth form |
| Pupils on roll | 1036 (school census 15-01-2026) |
| Capacity | 1600 |
| Free school meals | 36.20% |
| Trust or sponsor | ALDRIDGE EDUCATION |
| Local authority | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Address | Sudell Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 3HD |
| Map | View on Google Maps |
| Website | http://www.daca.uk.com/ |
| Telephone | 01254819500 |
| URN | 135580 |
Ofsted inspection
Latest graded inspection under the previous framework (Education Inspection Framework), started 20 May 2025, published 9 July 2025:
| Overall effectiveness | Not given (single-word overall grades were not awarded from September 2024) |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Requires improvement |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Sixth form provision | Good |
| Safeguarding effective | Yes |
Read the Ofsted reports for this school
Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall effectiveness grades in September 2024 and introduced report cards from November 2025. Older grades are shown with their dates and may not reflect the school today.
Planning for university
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Nearby schools
- Aldridge UTC Darwen (secondary school, about 0.6 km)
- Darwen Vale High School (secondary school, about 2.4 km)
- Blackburn Central High School (secondary school, about 5.0 km)
- St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn (secondary school, about 5.1 km)
- Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (secondary school, about 5.3 km)
- Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School (secondary school, about 5.6 km)
- St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy (secondary school, about 5.8 km)
- Witton Park Academy (secondary school, about 6.2 km)
Browse: Secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. School data: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (downloaded 11 October 2026). Inspection data: Ofsted, state-funded schools inspections and outcomes management information (as at 31 August 2026). Last updated 2026-10-11.