Key stage 2 2024/25
#9,536 of 15,057
Worse than 63% of schools in England
Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
GCSE 2025/26
#1,660 of 3,312
Similar to most schools in England
Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.
Ofsted report cardInspected 25 Nov 2025
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 142174.
Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.
| Measure | This school | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 59%, worse than England, similar to Darlington | 62% | 63% |
| Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing. | 6%, similar to England, similar to Darlington | 7% | 8% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 104, worse than England, similar to Darlington | 105 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 105, similar to England, similar to Darlington | 104 | 105 |
| Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 104, similar to England, similar to Darlington | 105 | 105 |
| Expected standard in reading | 69%, worse than England, similar to Darlington | 72% | 76% |
| Expected standard in writing | 71%, similar to England, similar to Darlington | 73% | 73% |
| Expected standard in maths | 80%, better than England, better than Darlington | 74% | 75% |
| Pupils taking tests | 49 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.
GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.
| Measure | This school | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average. | 45.9, similar to England, similar to Darlington | 44.4 | 46.2 |
| Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass. | 69.2%, better than England, better than Darlington | 64.9% | 64.8% |
| Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass. | 40.4%, worse than England, worse than Darlington | 43.6% | 46.3% |
| Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade. | 6.7%, worse than England, worse than Darlington | 11.7% | 14.2% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 64.4%, better than England, better than Darlington | 58.6% | 60.2% |
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 104 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 842 |
| Girls | 456 |
| Boys | 386 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 31.2% |
| First language not English | 15.4% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 882 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 4.5% |
| Sixth form places2018/19 | Not available |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 90 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 20 |
| Average class size | 24.1 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 18.4 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 11.4 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 45.71 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 23.07 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 57.28 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 42.9 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 36.3 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 0 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 6.6 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day. | 45 |
| Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed. | 137 |
| First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 43 |
| First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 40 |
| Applications from another local authority (Reception) | 2 |
| Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day. | 107 |
| Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed. | 287 |
| First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 101 |
| First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 98 |
| Applications from another local authority (Year 7) | 12 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 7.7%, similar to England, better than Darlington | 8.2% | 8% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 22.4%, similar to England, similar to Darlington | 23.3% | 21.6% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 2.6%, better than England, better than Darlington | 3.6% | 3.6% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 26.4% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 6.8% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0.5% |
| Permanent exclusions | 4 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms. | 84.7% |
| Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education. | 78.8% |
| Further education | 36.5% |
| Sixth form college | 32.9% |
| School sixth form | 9.4% |
| Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms. | 9.4% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.5% |
| Employment | 2.4% |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 mi | Primary | St Augustine's Catholic Primary School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 9 Jul 2024. | |
| 0.5 mi | 16 plus | Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College | Academy 16-19 converter | Unrated Unrated. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | Skerne Park Academy | Academy sponsor led | Requires improvement Ofsted rating. Inspected 18 Jun 2024. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | Abbey Infants' School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 16 Nov 2022. | |
| 0.7 mi | Nursery | George Dent Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | Outstanding Ofsted rating. Inspected 11 Feb 2015. | |
| 0.7 mi | Nursery | Borough Road Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 4 Feb 2020. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | Abbey Junior School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 18 Dec 2012. | |
| 0.9 mi | Primary | The Rydal Academy | Academy sponsor led | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 6 Dec 2022. | |
| 0.9 mi | Primary | Corporation Road Community Primary School | Academy sponsor led | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 19 Sept 2023. | |
| 1.0 mi | Primary | Reid Street Primary School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 10 May 2012. |
Polam Hall School is rated Good, last inspected on 25 Nov 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.
Polam Hall School ranks 9,536 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 63% of schools) and 1,660 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools).
In 2024/25, 59% of pupils at Polam Hall School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).
In 2025/26, 40.4% of pupils at Polam Hall School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 45.9 (England 46.2).
For Reception entry in 2026/27, Polam Hall School made 45 offers from 137 applications (3 per offer), and 40 of 43 first-preference applicants got a place. For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, it made 107 offers from 287 applications (2.7 per offer), and 98 of 101 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
Polam Hall School has 842 pupils aged 4 to 16.
Polam Hall School had 882 school places in 2024/25.
No, Polam Hall School teaches pupils up to age 16.
At Polam Hall School, the average class had 24.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18.4 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Polam Hall School missed 7.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 22.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.