Report card · inspected Jul 2026
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
This schoolOther secondary schools in County Durham
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion | Strong standard | ||||
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard | ||||
| Achievement | Expected standard | ||||
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard | ||||
| Personal development and wellbeing | Strong standard | ||||
| Early years | Does not apply to this school | ||||
| 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
- 14 July 2026Report card · 2 Strong standard, 4 Expected standard
- 6 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 entry171 applications · 95 places offered · 94 named it first
- 2026 1.8; County Durham median median 1.8
- 2025 2.1; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2024 1.7; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2023 2.2; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2022 1.8; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2021 2.2; County Durham median median 2.0
- 2020 2.3; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2019 2.1; County Durham median median 2.0
- 2018 2.0; County Durham median median 2.0
- 2017 1.6; County Durham median median 1.7; as the previous school
- 2016 1.6; County Durham median median 1.5; as the previous school
- 2015 1.4; County Durham median median 1.5; as the previous school
- 2014 1.3; County Durham median median 1.4; as the previous school
- This school
- County Durham median
Dashed bars: as Staindrop School (URN 137234), Staindrop School A Business and Enterprise College (URN 114302), the previous school.
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, 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 | 95 | 171 | 1.8 | 94 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2025 | 115 | 238 | 2.1 | 117 | 1.02 |
| Sep 2024 | 115 | 199 | 1.7 | 115 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2023 | 86 | 185 | 2.2 | 84 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2022 | 87 | 160 | 1.8 | 83 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2021 | 80 | 175 | 2.2 | 78 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2020 | 61 | 137 | 2.3 | 61 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2019 | 56 | 116 | 2.1 | 53 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2018 | 54 | 109 | 2.0 | 53 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2017 * | 77 | 124 | 1.6 | 76 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2016 * | 96 | 151 | 1.6 | 96 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2015 * | 110 | 153 | 1.4 | 110 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2014 * | 114 | 147 | 1.3 | 114 | 1.00 |
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.) | 75 | 47.7 | 52% | 72% | – |
| 2024/25 | 78 | 45.6 | 39% | 65% | – |
| 2023/24 | 56 | 47.8 | 43% | 63% | −0.16 |
| 2022/23 | 61 | 46.5 | 41% | 71% | −0.37 |
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
- Staindrop AcademyThis schoolThis school20261.8applications per place 47.7Attainment 8
- 7.2 km · County DurhamStandards maintained20251.3applications per place 57.0Attainment 8
- 11.3 km · County DurhamRemains Good20242.0applications per place 43.8Attainment 8
- 11.4 km · County DurhamGood20242.9applications per place 39.0Attainment 8
- 13.0 km · County Durham20262.7applications per place 43.1Attainment 8
- 14.4 km · County DurhamRequires improvement20193.2applications per place 37.7Attainment 8
- 14.6 km · DarlingtonGood20231.7applications per place 41.3Attainment 8
- 15.3 km · County DurhamGood202433.4Attainment 8
- 15.4 km · Darlington20261.7applications per place 50.7Attainment 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
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 144991 · 840/4008
- Capacity
- 675 pupils · 504 on roll
- Free school meals
- 30.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 October 2017
- Replaced
- Staindrop School (URN 137234); Staindrop School A Business and Enterprise College (URN 114302)
- Address
- Cleatlam Lane, Staindrop, Darlington, DL2 3JU
- Local authority
- County Durham
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources