Polam Hall School
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Polam Hall School is a free school in Darlington for boys and girls aged 4 to 16. It has 842 pupils and room for 882. About 31 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 37 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 54% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in November 2025 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5PA01325 463383phs.woodard.co.ukPrincipal Kate Reid headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 25 November 2025. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 5 October 2021 | Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 | Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
90 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 90 | 85 | 67 | 72 | 51 | 51 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 44.6 | 42.0 | 42.7 | 49.8 | 48.6 | 43.4 | 44.2 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.05 | -0.34 | +0.15 | -0.07 | -0.58 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 38% | 35% | 33% | 50% | 43% | 37% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 63% | 54% | 58% | 68% | 71% | 51% | 64% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.03 | 3.77 | 3.80 | 4.35 | 4.49 | 3.95 | 3.80 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 33% | 37% | 34% | 39% | 80% | 69% | 32% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 29.8 | 31.2 | 33.8 | 28.3 | 35.6 | 35.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 49.2 | 45.5 | 46.8 | 57.0 | 50.3 | 45.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 27.8 | 30.9 | 28.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 61.8 | 61.9 | 68.5 | 55.4 | 54.1 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Business (38% here, 51% across England), French (50% here, 60% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 89 | 17% | 45% | 67% | 53% | 2,082 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 89 | 17% | 49% | 66% | 58% | 2,075 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 89 | 14% | 46% | 56% | 54% | 2,117 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 61 | 5% | 38% | 53% | 36% | 1,256 of 3,084 |
| History | 60 | 20% | 53% | 57% | 52% | 1,360 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 38 | 26% | 55% | 71% | 51% | 1,058 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 36 | 17% | 53% | 64% | 58% | 1,704 of 2,818 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 30 | 7% | 43% | 63% | 52% | 698 of 1,098 |
| Business | 29 | 7% | 38% | 52% | 51% | 1,258 of 1,806 |
| French | 28 | 18% | 50% | 64% | 60% | 1,384 of 1,974 |
| Physics | 27 | 37% | 89% | 93% | 82% | 1,172 of 2,546 |
| Biology | 27 | 30% | 78% | 89% | 82% | 1,739 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 27 | 26% | 78% | 93% | 81% | 1,655 of 2,537 |
| Physical Education | 24 | 25% | 71% | 83% | 56% | 430 of 1,559 |
| Drama | 14 | 21% | 79% | 93% | 60% | – |
| Music | 8 | 0% | 50% | 75% | 61% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 6 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
49 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 49 | 48 | 48 | 50 | 47 | 48 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 59% | 63% | 58% | 50% | 55% | 50% | 64% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 8% | 10% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 104.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 102.0 | 107.0 | 105.0 | 104.9 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 105.0 | 107.0 | 104.0 | 102.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 | 104.5 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 104.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 | 102.0 | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 69% | 81% | 65% | 72% | 85% | 79% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 80% | 81% | 69% | 68% | 77% | 65% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 71% | 79% | 71% | 68% | 64% | 63% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -1.1 | – | +0.0 | -0.2 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.4 | – | -1.8 | -3.1 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 60% | 25% | 50% | 17% | 33% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 59% | 70% | 62% | 55% | 59% | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
A level and sixth-form results, 2019
33 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 33 | 50 | 48 | 40 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 24.00 | 23.44 | 24.04 | 25.11 |
| Average A level grade | D+ | D+ | D+ | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 24.60 | 25.19 | 24.78 | 26.41 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 0% | 0% | 13% | 8% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.39 | -0.77 | -0.61 | -0.59 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 92% | – | 100% | – |
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 6 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 12% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Darlington council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 138 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.6 pupils (England 26.2); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.5 (England 28.2).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (31), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (21), Autistic spectrum disorder (18), language and communications needs (16), Specific learning difficulty (15), Moderate learning difficulty (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 842 | 841 | 816 | 787 | 741 | 720 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 31% | 30% | 25% | 25% | 19% | 16% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 15% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 9% | 9% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 11% | 14% | 15% | 14% | 16% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.0% | 8.7% | 8.1% | 8.9% | 4.0% | 5.5% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.6% | 6.7% | 6.4% | 7.0% | 3.1% | 4.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 1.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 23.3% | 26.2% | 23.5% | 29.4% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 26.4 | 20.1 | 19.1 | 12.4 | 6.3 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 67 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 90%, compared with 96% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 94% | 90% | 93% | 97% |
| Education | 85% | 86% | 90% | 93% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 1% | 0% | 3% |
| Work | 4% | 3% | 3% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 8% | 6% | 1% |
After sixth form
Where the 13 pupils who left in 2016/17 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Augustine's Catholic Primary School | Academy | 310 m | 224 | Good 2024 | 77 | Compare |
| Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College | Academy 16-19 converter | 820 m | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Skerne Park Academy | Academy | 910 m | 248 | Requires improvement 2024 | 1 | Compare |
| Abbey Infants' School | Academy | 0.6 miles | 264 | Good 2022 | 66 | Compare |
| George Dent Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 0.7 miles | 97 | Outstanding 2024 | – | Compare |
| Borough Road Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 0.7 miles | 109 | Good 2020 | – | Compare |
| Abbey Junior School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 362 | Good 2023 | 76 | Compare |
| The Rydal Academy | Academy | 0.9 miles | 584 | Good 2022 | 12 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Polam Hall School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 37 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 37% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 27 to 49. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.08 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 90 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | -0.05 | Ofsted report card, 0.8 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.05 | DfE progress measure; 90 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.06 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.01 | 2024/25; 829 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.03 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 90 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | +0.01 | 67 pupils |
| What parents say | 5% | in line | -0.01 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 138 responses |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Polam Hall School a good school?
It is about average. Polam Hall School scores 37 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 54% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 27 to 49, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Polam Hall School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 25 November 2025 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.
How good are Polam Hall School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 38% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 44.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Polam Hall School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 59% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Polam Hall School have?
842 pupils aged 4 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 882 places, so it is 95% full.
Is Polam Hall School oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Polam Hall School?
Pupils were in school 92.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about Polam Hall School?
75% of the 138 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 75% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at Polam Hall School?
The average class had 24.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 9% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Polam Hall School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 94% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5PA
- Telephone
- 01325 463383
- Website
- www.phs.woodard.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Principal Kate Reid
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- All-through school, ages 4-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Woodard Academies Trust (6 schools)
- Local authority
- Darlington
- Ward
- Park West
- Constituency
- Darlington
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2015 (former independent)
- URN
- 142174 · LAESTAB 8416000 · UKPRN 10053816
- Formerly
- Polam Hall School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.