Admissions

Click on one the box below to apply for Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio

September 2025- Join us in year 12 September 2025 - Join us in Year 9

ADMISSIONS CONSULTATION- PLEASE SEE THE LETTER ATTACHED FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Entry Requirements

Open to all

We are a state school, funded by the Department of Education. There are no fees and no entrance exam.

Key Stage 4

There are no specific entry requirements to join us in Year 9. Pupils must demonstrate a strong interest in the Creative sector, game design sector or care sector and attend a pathway meeting to discuss their options.

Key Stage 5

We do have specific entry requirements for Year 12.

Students are expected to achieve a minimum of 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 / Grade C or above to be able to study in our sixth form. Students choosing A Level options, should usually have a minimum of Grade 6 in relevant GCSE subjects, including maths and/or English where appropriate.

For in-year applications, please contact the school for more details

Appeals

If the college is not oversubscribed, all applicants will be offered a place.
If the academy receives more applications than the number of places it has available, places will be given to those children who meet any of the criteria set out below, in the order described below, until all places are filled.
1. Looked after children and all previously looked after children who apply for a place at the academy.
2. Children of staff at the academy who have been recruited to a post where there is a demonstrable skill shortage. Priority will be limited to one place for each form of entry in any year group (e.g. 3 places in each 3-form year group).
3. Priority will next be given to children who, at the time of admission have a sibling who attends the academy. For this purpose, ‘sibling’ means a whole, half or step-sibling or an adopted child resident at the
same address.
4. Priority will next be given to children of staff at the academy where the member of staff has been employed at the academy for 2 or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the
academy is made. Priority will be limited to one place for each form of entry in any year group (e.g. 3 places in each 3-form year group).
5. Priority will next be given to those children who live closest to the academy. The Local Authority measures distance on behalf of Aldridge Education, Blackburn with Darwen Local Authority use Ordinance Survey Data to calculate straight line distance between the child’s home and the main entrance to the academy. Where a child resides in a block of flats, the distance will be measured to the main entrance of the building in which the flats are located.

All applicants who have not been offered a place will automatically be added to a wait list.

All applicants who have applied for a Year 9 place at the academy and have been refused, have a right to appeal that decision to an Independent Appeal Panel.

Your appeal is more likely to be successful if the school:

have made a mistake when applying their admissions policy
have an admissions policy that does not follow the school admissions code

You must contact the school on 01254819567 and ask for the admissions officer to request a form to complete for appeals.

Deadline for appeals 1st April 2025

Deadline for notice of hearing 14th May 2025