Blackburn Central High School
Academy converter · 1,015 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.0
Academy sponsor led
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,036of 1,600 places
- Free school meals
- 36.2%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 191
- Ofsted
- Inspected, 20 May 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Darwen Moorland High School (URN 119754).
What the data says
Of the 210 pupils who finished Year 11 at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy in 2023, 19% stayed on in Darwen Aldridge Community Academy’s own sixth form (Blackburn with Darwen average 17%), 58% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 67 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 40% went to university (Blackburn with Darwen 31%, England 37%), and 9% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 36.5 against 46.1 across England and 45.4 in Blackburn with Darwen, with 24% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
11% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Blackburn with Darwen and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 210 | 2,152 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 87% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 80% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 19% | 17% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 3% | 12% | 13% |
| — further education college | 58% | 52% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 9% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 67 | 1,804 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 79% | 71% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 40% | 31% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 9% | 10% | 19% |
| Further education | 4% | 8% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 10% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 24% | 23% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 16% | 23% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 36.5 | 45.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 24% | 44% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 50% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 17% | 39% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.01 | 3.98 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 31% | 30% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 26.5 | 35.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 41.0 | 49.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 16% | 29% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 185 | 97% | 89% | 14% | 20% | 61% |
| Mathematics | 184 | 96% | 88% | 5% | 22% | 56% |
| English Literature | 183 | 96% | 86% | 7% | 21% | 54% |
| Combined Science | 128 | 67% | 65% | 4% | 9% | 38% |
| History | 99 | 52% | 41% | 8% | 26% | 45% |
| Geography | 76 | 40% | 41% | 11% | 25% | 39% |
| Chemistry | 56 | 29% | 23% | 5% | 47% | 55% |
| Physics | 56 | 29% | 23% | 7% | 46% | 55% |
| Biology | 53 | 28% | 23% | 11% | 45% | 58% |
| Physical Education | 43 | 23% | 11% | 14% | 24% | 84% |
| Fine Art | 36 | 19% | 9% | 3% | 28% | 42% |
| Sociology | 34 | 18% | 4% | 12% | 21% | 41% |
| Photography | 31 | 16% | 6% | 29% | 19% | 84% |
| Computer Science | 31 | 16% | 13% | 13% | 30% | 48% |
| Design and Technology | 27 | 14% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 59% |
| Spanish | 25 | 13% | 19% | 24% | 27% | 96% |
| Religious Studies | 24 | 13% | 31% | 33% | 32% | 88% |
| French | 16 | 8% | 18% | 19% | 29% | 69% |
| Film Studies | 15 | 8% | 1% | 7% | 20% | 73% |
| Statistics | 15 | 8% | 5% | 0% | 20% | 7% |
| Urdu | 8 | 4% | 1% | 63% | 42% | 63% |
| Music | 8 | 4% | 5% | 13% | 33% | 75% |
| Citizenship Studies | 7 | 4% | 3% | 0% | 19% | 0% |
| German | 2 | 1% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Portuguese | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Persian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 77% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 56 | 100% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 41 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 36 | 100% | — |
| Sports Studies | 27 | 96% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 1 | 4% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 118 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 28 | 406 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 25.00 | 32.70 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | D+ | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 0% | 14% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 12 | 43% | 23% |
| Sociology | 11 | 39% | 13% |
| History | 8 | 29% | 13% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | 2% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 15 | 54% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen
Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio
Studio schools · sixth form · 275 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 34.7
Darwen Vale High School
Academy sponsor led · 1,039 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.1
Pleckgate High School
Academy sponsor led · 1,339 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.2
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
Free schools · sixth form · 873 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.0
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn
Voluntary aided school · 1,051 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.4
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.