Darwen Aldridge Community Academy

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy moved to its new town centre location in September 2010. Located in Darwen, a Lancashire town of over 40,000 in population, the Academy had opened in the predecessor school buildings in September 2008. The state of the art new building features an entrepreneurship bridge, DarwenCreates. The Academy sixth form brought back a new education offer for post 16 students. The outstanding new facilities at the Academy are accessible to the wider Darwen community, and staff and students are delighted.

Just prior to the move, the Academy celebrated record success in results, with 49% of students leaving secondary education with 5 or more GCSEs (or equivalent) at A*-C including maths and English. 90% of students left with at least 5 GCSEs (or equivalent), 100% left with at least one. Many of these students will go on to study in the sixth form. Five DACA students also carried on to University - a first in each of their families.

The Principal, Brendan Loughran, and his leadership team invited parents and carers to accompany students in the first week of opening to meet the staff and sign a home school agreement thus creating a partnership between the Academy and the home.

In 2008, the opening was marked when the students held an impressive Founders' Day, addressed by the Sponsor Sir Rod Aldridge, in October showcasing the first few weeks of the Academy. It was run by the students and attended by families, the Mayor, the local MP, officials from the Local Authority and members of the business and wider local community.

Students in the Academy follow the National Curriculum and experience high standards of teaching and learning but with a notably different curriculum structure.

There is regular emphasis and assessment of the specialisms of entrepreneurship and sport. We have developed the following six characteristics of entrepreneurship which are embedded across all aspects of Academy life to raise the potential within our students.

• Determination
• Creativity
• Problem Solving
• Risk Taking
• Team Work
• Passion