New Build
We have now moved into our Fantastic new facilities, construction work on the new Darwen Aldridge Community Academy site at Redearth completed in August 2010.
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.
The Aldridge Foundation was delighted that DACA was named as a finalist in the Education Investor Awards, for Academy of the Year 2010.
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