Darwen Vale High School
Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 11–16 · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen
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.
Open on the map Unlock with a pass · £9.99
Key facts
- Address
- Blackburn Road, Darwen, BB3 0AL
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Sector
- See recorded establishment type
- 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.
Last distance offered and catchment
A one-off £9.99 pass, no subscription, unlocks for 3 months:
- Last distance offered for Year 7 2026, as Blackburn with Darwen published it, drawn on the map
- Earlier years of applications and offers
- Earlier years of exam results
- Where pupils go after they leave
- Crime, sold prices, broadband and transport around the school
A last distance offered describes one past year and is not a catchment or a promise of a place. Check with the council before you apply.
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