Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio

What Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio does

Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio (DAES) is a 13-19 mainstream Studio School located in Darwen, Lancashire, North West England, operating as a state-funded academy under the Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust. The school delivers secondary and sixth-form education across three specialism pathways: Creative Digital Media (Film Studies, Photography, Graphic Art), Technical Digital Media (Games Design, E-Sports, computing and digital technologies), and Care Sector (Health & Social Care, Child Development, Early Years). Qualifications offered include GCSEs, BTECs, A-Levels, and T-Levels (Media Broadcast & Production, Digital Support & Security, Education & Early Years), with a stated headcount of fewer than 350 learners, supplemented by the Virtual Aldridge free tutoring programme and the Aldridge Connect/Connect+ careers and enterprise framework.

The school's teaching is built around employer engagement, with named partnerships spanning Channel 4, Amazon Web Services, British Aerospace, and local hospitals and healthcare providers, providing live briefs, industry specialist sessions, and work placements. Technology used in instruction consists of industry-standard creative tools (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), professional camera and film production equipment, and digital hardware/software for computing and games design courses. Recent Ofsted inspection judged six areas as meeting expected standard with inclusion rated strong, and 64% of the creative cohort reportedly received unconditional university offers.

Commercially, DAES operates as a not-for-profit state school with no tuition fees. Revenue is derived from Department for Education per-pupil funding and is consolidated within Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust accounts; financial figures are not publicly disclosed at the school level. The school is part of the D6 sixth-form network across 3 sites in Darwen, with DAES acting as the T-Level base from 2025 onwards. The customer base consists of students aged 13-19 (and by extension their families), with admissions managed directly through the school's own application process targeting Year 9 entry and in-year applicants.

Name

Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio

Legal name

Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio School

Website

https://daestudio.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio is a 13-19 state-funded Studio School in Darwen, Lancashire, part of Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust, specializing in Creative Digital Media, Technical Digital Media (Games Design), and Care sector pathways for fewer than 350 learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Electives & Enrichment Curriculum (Arts, Music, PE, CTE Exploratories) (EDAGAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Digital Classrooms (EDAJAMAA)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• Vocational training
• Digital media courses
• Creative arts curriculum
• Care sector education

Headquarters

HQ city

Darwen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: As a state-funded academy under Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust, the school receives funding from the Department for Education. No tuition fees are charged to students. The school is free to attend as a state school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio (DAES) is a 13-19 mainstream Studio School delivering secondary and post-16 education with specialist pathways in Creative Digital Media, Technical Digital Media, and Care sector studies. It offers GCSEs, BTECs, A Levels, and T Levels alongside employability-focused learning, supported by employer partnerships with Channel 4, Amazon Web Services, local hospitals, and British Aerospace. The school operates as part of the Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust and is free to attend as a state-funded academy.

Product overview

Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio is a 13-19 mainstream Studio School offering a specialist curriculum through three thematic pathways: Creative Digital Media, Technical Digital Media (Games Design), and Care Sector. The school provides a range of qualifications including GCSEs (English Language & Literature, Maths, Combined Sciences), A-Levels (Graphic Design, Photography), BTECs, and T-Levels (Media Broadcast & Production, Digital Support & Security, Education & Early Years). The educational offering is complemented by the Virtual Aldridge free online tutoring programme and the Aldridge Connect careers and enterprise programme, creating a comprehensive preparation for further education and employment. The school operates as part of the Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust and partners with employers including Channel 4, Amazon Web Services, local hospitals, and British Aerospace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Digital Media Pathway A specialist curriculum pathway covering Film Studies, Photography, and Graphic Art at GCSE and A-Level, preparing students for careers in the creative sector through hands-on skills and industry connections.
• Technical Digital Media (Games Design) Pathway
• Care Sector Pathway
• Media Broadcast & Production T Level
• Digital Support & Security T Level
• Education & Early Years T Level
• Virtual Aldridge
• Aldridge Connect and Connect+

Quantifiable outcome

• 64% of creative cohort receiving unconditional university offers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Channel 4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partnership bringing real-world learning opportunities. Channel 4 professionals engage with students through industry specialist sessions and live briefs, providing insight into the media and creative industries.
• Amazon Web ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology employer partnership providing students with exposure to cloud computing and digital technology career pathways. Industry professionals contribute to student learning experiences.
• Local Hospitals and Healthcare ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare sector partnerships providing work placements in health and social care settings including Health Watch and Food Power and Sustain. Students gain real industry experience in care sector roles.
• British AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partnership providing students with exposure to aerospace and engineering career pathways. Industry professionals engage with students to bring learning to life.
• Lancashire Careers Hub (Work Ready Lancashire)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing careers information, guidance resources, and Labour Market Information (LMI) to support student career planning and就业 preparation.
• Darwen ValecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner campus within the D6 sixth form network across 3 sites in Darwen, enabling cross-campus collaboration and broader subject range for students.
• DACA (Darwen Aldridge Community Academy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school within Aldridge Education cluster, working together while maintaining separate specialisms. Both part of the same Multi-Academy Trust.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The BRIT School: UK's leading specialist free school for performing arts, media and creative technologies for ages 14-19. Closest direct peer in terms of specialist creative/digital curriculum with industry partnerships, employer-led learning and small-cohort delivery — a proven template DAES's Creative Digital Media pathway mirrors.
• Liverpool Life Sciences UTC: University Technical College in Liverpool for ages 14-19 offering specialist STEM pathways with strong employer engagement. Operates the same small-school, project-based, employer-partnered model that defines Studio Schools and UTCs in the UK, with comparable T-Level provision.
• South Devon UTC: University Technical College for ages 14-19 delivering specialist pathways in engineering, health sciences and digital with employer-led curriculum. Same UK UTC/Studio-school template of small cohorts, technical specialism and T-Level delivery as DAES.

Regional players

• Manchester Communication Academy: Secondary school in the North West with specialist focus on communication, digital and creative skills. Comparable age range, regional geography and emphasis on employer-relevant pathways, though larger in scale than DAES.
• Blackpool UTC: University Technical College in Lancashire, within the same North West region, offering specialist vocational pathways with employer partnerships. Directly comparable specialist secondary model and overlapping catchment geography.

Broad incumbents

• Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust: Parent multi-academy trust operating multiple non-selective academy schools and colleges across England, including DAES. Comparable as the broader operating entity and strategic decision-maker, with overlap on Connect/Connect+ programmes and Virtual Aldridge tutoring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dae_studio
• Facebookfacebook.com/Darwenaldridgeenterprisestudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darwen-aldridge-enterprise-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio