Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio (DAES) is a mixed

studio school A studio school is a type of specialist secondary school in England that is designed to give students practical skills in workplace environments as well as traditional academic and vocational courses of study. Like traditional schools, studio sc ...

located in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, UK. It opened in September 2013. It is part of the Aldridge Education

multi-academy trust Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) or school trust is an academy trust that operates more than one academy school. Academy schools are state-funded schools in England which are directly funded by the Department for Education and independent of local autho ...

. The school offers GCSEs and A Levels with a focus on creative digital, health and child-care and business-related subjects. These are delivered through real commercial business based projects. Students also receive professional work placements.

Location

In 2014 DAES moved into the former Model Lodging House in Police Street, Darwen, following a £4.1m refurbishment and extension.

History

Proposals to open the school were officially approved by the

Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England. A Department ...

in July 2012. The Studio initially opened within sister school

Darwen Aldridge Community Academy Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (DACA) is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status in the Blackburn with Darwen borough of Lancashire, England. It specialises in entrepreneurship and is part of the Aldridge Education Multi Academ ...

buildings before moving to new facilities in September 2014 in Police Street. The site underwent a £4.1m refurbishment and extension to turn the historic former lodging house into a school.

Ofsted Results

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...

awarded Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio a 'Good' rating in March 2015.

References

{{authority control Secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen Studio schools Educational institutions established in 2013 2013 establishments in England