Overall Oxbridge
#471
1 ranked schools · +443 places vs Eng avg #914 of 1,983
Applications
2
Offers
1
Offer rate50.0%
+27.6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 22.4%
Schools in Darwen
A compact mill and market town of around 28,000 on the River Darwen in Lancashire, Darwen sits within the Blackburn with Darwen borough a few miles south of Blackburn. Cotton weaving and paper milling defined Darwen's nineteenth-century growth, and the dense terraces those industries created still frame the approach to the town centre today.
Darwen Town Centre and its surrounding streets form the borough's most school-competitive pocket for families seeking primary places. Whitehall and Hoddlesden extend further east and south. Trains from Darwen station reach Blackburn in under ten minutes and Manchester Victoria in around fifty, running south via Bolton on the Northern network.
12
Primary
schools
3
Secondary
schools
1
Special
schools
of which3sixth forms·8faith·1nurseries17 total
Area Performance
Darwen schools rank in the top 71% of England
Across 20 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 6.73/10, -0.68 vs England.
Find My School Inspection Band
12% Elite
Distribution across all Darwen schools
EliteExcellentGoodDeveloping
Darwen vs England distribution
National Rank
Top 71%
Across all ranked Darwen schools
Top 72%Primaryavg #10,845 of 14,978
Top 74%Secondaryavg #2,862 of 3,861
Top 57%Sixth formavg #1,449 of 2,554
Primary schools: 14 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
6.6/10
-0.71 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#10,845
-22 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 72% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
52%
-10 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
4%
-4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Average FMS Inspection Score
6.6/10
-0.71 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#10,845
-22 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 72% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
52%
-10 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
4%
-4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Secondary schools: 3 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
6.7/10
-0.70 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#2,862
-24 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 74% of 3,861
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
38.1
-1.0 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Average FMS Inspection Score
6.7/10
-0.70 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#2,862
-24 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 74% of 3,861
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
38.1
-1.0 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Sixth form schools: 3 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.2/10
-0.51 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,449
-7 pts vs medianmedian 1,277
top 57% of 2,554
% A*-A at A-Level
19%
-6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
42%
-8 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.2/10
-0.51 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,449
-7 pts vs medianmedian 1,277
top 57% of 2,554
% A*-A at A-Level
19%
-6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
42%
-8 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Cambridge
#364
1 ranked schools · +409 places vs Eng avg #773 of 1,880
Applications
2
Offers
1
Offer rate50.0%
+20.6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 29.4%
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Darwen
Top 2 Secondary Schools
2026
Darwen
Top 2 Sixth Forms
2026
Darwen
Local directory
School profiles in Darwen
Browse 15 local profile links across primary schools and secondary schools. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
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