Report card · inspected Nov 2025
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
This schoolOther secondary schools in Darlington
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion | Expected standard | ||||
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard | ||||
| Achievement | Expected standard | ||||
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard | ||||
| Personal development and wellbeing | Strong standard | ||||
| Early years | Expected standard | ||||
| Post-16 provision | Does not apply to this school | ||||
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard | ||||
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
Inspection history
- 25 November 2025Report card · 1 Strong standard, 6 Expected standard
- 5 October 2021Graded inspection: Good
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry287 applications · 107 places offered · 101 named it first
- 2026 2.7; Darlington median median 1.7
- 2025 2.8; Darlington median median 1.8
- 2024 2.7; Darlington median median 1.9
- 2023 2.3; Darlington median median 1.5
- 2022 2.0; Darlington median median 1.5
- 2021 2.0; Darlington median median 1.5
- 2020 1.9; Darlington median median 1.5
- 2019 3.8; Darlington median median 1.5
- 2018 8.1; Darlington median median 1.7
- 2017 8.3; Darlington median median 2.0
- 2016 9.0; Darlington median median 2.0
- This school
- Darlington median
Reception entry, September 2026: 3.0 per place (137 applications for 45 places).
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 107 | 287 | 2.7 | 101 | 0.94 |
| Sep 2025 | 108 | 305 | 2.8 | 115 | 1.06 |
| Sep 2024 | 108 | 288 | 2.7 | 108 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2023 | 110 | 254 | 2.3 | 114 | 1.04 |
| Sep 2022 | 109 | 214 | 2.0 | 88 | 0.81 |
| Sep 2021 | 99 | 195 | 2.0 | 85 | 0.86 |
| Sep 2020 | 76 | 144 | 1.9 | 58 | 0.76 |
| Sep 2019 | 37 | 142 | 3.8 | 33 | 0.89 |
| Sep 2018 | 25 | 202 | 8.1 | 50 | 2.00 |
| Sep 2017 | 28 | 231 | 8.3 | 66 | 2.36 |
| Sep 2016 | 26 | 233 | 9.0 | 33 | 1.27 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 104 | 45.9 | 40% | 69% | – |
| 2024/25 | 90 | 44.6 | 38% | 63% | – |
| 2023/24 | 85 | 42.0 | 35% | 54% | −0.05 |
| 2022/23 | 67 | 42.7 | 33% | 58% | −0.34 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Polam Hall SchoolThis schoolThis school20252.7applications per place 45.9Attainment 8
- 1.8 km · DarlingtonGraded · no overall grade20242.4applications per place 52.7Attainment 8
- 2.0 km · DarlingtonSome aspects not as strong20251.5applications per place 41.6Attainment 8
- 2.2 km · Darlington20261.7applications per place 50.7Attainment 8
- 3.1 km · DarlingtonGood20231.7applications per place 41.3Attainment 8
- 3.2 km · Darlington20261.6applications per place 42.3Attainment 8
- 3.3 km · DarlingtonGraded · no overall grade20241.6applications per place 39.8Attainment 8
- 4.1 km · DarlingtonGood20221.8applications per place 42.4Attainment 8
- 8.7 km · County DurhamGood202433.4Attainment 8
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- All-through
- URN · DfE number
- 142174 · 841/6000
- Capacity
- 882 pupils · 842 on roll
- Free school meals
- 31.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 September 2015
- Replaced
- Polam Hall School (URN 114329)
- Address
- Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5PA
- Local authority
- Darlington
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources