Blackburn Central High School
Academy converter · 1,015 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.0
Studio schools
Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio
- Pupils on roll
- 275of 300 places
- Free school meals
- 46.2%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 69
- Ofsted
- Report card, 20 January 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Strong standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
What the data says
Of the 52 pupils who finished Year 11 at Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio in 2023, 46% stayed on in Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio’s own sixth form (Blackburn with Darwen average 17%), 40% went to a further education college and none started an apprenticeship.
Among the 32 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 31% went to university (Blackburn with Darwen 31%, England 37%), and 6% 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 34.7 against 46.1 across England and 45.4 in Blackburn with Darwen, with 28% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 33% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.
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 | 52 | 2,152 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 88% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 46% | 17% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 12% | 13% |
| — further education college | 40% | 52% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 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 | 32 | 1,804 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 56% | 71% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 31% | 31% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 6% | 10% | 19% |
| Further education | 6% | 8% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 23% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 31% | 23% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 34.7 | 45.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 28% | 44% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 49% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 0% | 39% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 2.48 | 3.98 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 57% | 30% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 31.1 | 35.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 39.3 | 49.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 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 Literature | 69 | 100% | 86% | 9% | 21% | 54% |
| Mathematics | 69 | 100% | 88% | 7% | 22% | 58% |
| English Language | 69 | 100% | 89% | 9% | 20% | 58% |
| Combined Science | 68 | 99% | 65% | 1% | 9% | 43% |
| Graphic Communication | 25 | 36% | 1% | 32% | 23% | 76% |
| Photography | 23 | 33% | 6% | 22% | 19% | 83% |
| Citizenship Studies | 23 | 33% | 3% | 4% | 19% | 48% |
| Film Studies | 21 | 30% | 1% | 5% | 20% | 52% |
| Computer Science | 20 | 29% | 13% | 0% | 30% | 35% |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multimedia | 25 | 100% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 22 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 20 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 18 | 100% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 66 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 17 | 406 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 36.97 | 32.70 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C- | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photography | 14 | 82% | 3% |
| Graphic Communication | 14 | 82% | 2% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | 2% |
| Sociology | — | — | 13% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 47% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,036 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.5
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.