Darwen Aldridge Community Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 May 2025

This is a welcoming school, where pupils feel safe. Staff build positive relationships with pupils. The school is a tolerant community in which differences between people are respected. Pupils who are new to the school are well supported and helped to settle in quickly. Most pupils behave well. Their behaviour around school is mainly calm, and there is an orderly environment. Many pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Students in the sixth form work hard and are exemplary role models for younger pupils. They support younger pupils with reading. The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The curriculum has been improved, and pupils learn increasingly well. However, inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum mean that some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as well as they should. Students in the sixth form, benefit from a well-designed and delivered curriculum. They achieve well. Pupils' aspirations are raised through employer visits and visit to universities. They are encouraged to develop their talents in a variety of areas, such as in music and sports, including football and netball. They enjoy contributing to local community events and raise money for charity. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in a range of visits and trips, including a ski trip overseas.

What the school should improve

• Some subject curriculums are not fully embedded. This means that some pupils are still catching up and have not been able to build new knowledge successfully. The school should ensure that the curriculum is consistently strong across subjects so that pupils achieve well across the curriculum.
• Some staff do not design appropriate activities for pupils, including for those with SEND, sufficiently well. This means that pupils sometimes do not learn the curriculum as successfully as they should. The school should ensure that staff receive appropriate guidance to design learning activities so that pupils achieve well across the curriculum.
• Some staff do not use the school's assessment strategies well enough to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and misconceptions, particularly in key stage 4. This hampers pupils from building and remembering knowledge securely. The school should ensure that staff consistently use assessment strategies to address gaps in learning so that pupils embed their knowledge well over time.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)