Darwen Vale High School
Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 11–16 · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
2.431 miles
Published by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council · offers on 2 March 2026
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Darwen Vale High School is a secondary school in Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen for ages 11–16 (academy sponsor led). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 30 January 2024. Blackburn with Darwen has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2026 entry.
Darwen Vale High School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 2.431 mi |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- For Year 7 entry in 2026, the last distance offered was 2.431 miles, the 2nd longest of 6 Blackburn with Darwen secondary schools with a published last distance (middle figure 1.11 miles).
- For Year 7 entry in 2026, there were 209 first-choice applications for 233 offers; 200 offers went to first-choice families and 9 first-choice families were not offered a place.
- In 2024/25, 40% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), the 4th highest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Blackburn with Darwen schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Blackburn Road, Darwen, BB3 0AL
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Pupils on roll
- 1,039 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 31.6% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 17.5
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 30 January 2024
Strengths
- “Pupils are made to feel welcome at Darwen Vale High School.”
- “They settle into school quickly and forge strong friendships with their peers.”
- “Pupils appreciate the support that they receive from their teachers.”
To improve
- “Nevertheless, in some subjects, teachers do not adapt their teaching effectively enough.”
- “This leaves a small number of pupils with SEND not achieving as well as they should.”
- “However, the support for some pupils, especially those in key stage 4, is not effective enough.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 12 March 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 40% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 43.1 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 209 first-preference applications, 233 offers in total, 200 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Blackburn with Darwen.
- Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio 1.3 mi No Ofsted grade
- Darwen Aldridge Community Academy 1.5 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Blackburn Central High School 1.6 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy 1.9 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School 2.0 mi Outstanding
- St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn 2.1 mi Not judged Last distance published
- St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy 2.2 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Witton Park Academy 2.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published