Abbey Infants' School, Darlington
Abbey Infants' School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Darlington, part of Melrose Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. It was 98% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Darlington (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Abbey Infants' School in detail
Getting a place at Abbey Infants' School
For September 2026 entry, 73 families put Abbey Infants' School as their first choice and 202 named it as one of their preferences, for 80 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Abbey Infants' School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Abbey Infants' School are Abbey Junior School (0.2 miles, Good, 91% reading, 86% maths); St Augustine's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 90% reading, 74% maths); Mowden Infant School (0.7 miles, Good); and Mowden Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths).
Abbey Junior SchoolSt Augustine's Catholic Primary SchoolMowden Infant SchoolMowden Junior School
The trust
Abbey Infants' School is one of 13 schools run by Melrose Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (78%), Asian (7%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 4 pupils (1.5%) received SEN support and 10 (3.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Darlington Rail Station - Park Lane, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Crematorium (o), 200 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Abbey Infants' School issued 7 suspensions, 2.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Abbey Infants' School are Carmel College (0.4 miles), Polam Hall School (0.6 miles), Hummersknott Academy (0.7 miles) and Wyvern Academy (1.4 miles).
Carmel CollegePolam Hall SchoolHummersknott AcademyWyvern Academy
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
3.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
10
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Abbey Infants' School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Abbey Infants' School.
- Sporting Futures280m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Abbey Infants' School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Abbey Infants' School is in Darlington; for families living there:
- Darlington's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy
- How to apply: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Darlington is 9 (the median across 48 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Abbey Infants' School
Will you get a place at Abbey Infants' School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Abbey Infants' School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Abbey Infants' School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Abbey Infants' School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Darlington, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Abbey Infants' School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Darlington got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
264 pupils
270 places
6 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Darlington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Darlington
Across Darlington council
Places available
1,260
Applications
1,075
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Darlington council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
5.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
264
Total Pupils
124
Boys
140
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,798
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1435k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
6.7%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Abbey Infants' School
Questions parents ask about Abbey Infants' School
What is Abbey Infants' School's Ofsted rating?
Abbey Infants' School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2008 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Abbey Infants' School?
No fixed boundary. When Abbey Infants' School is oversubscribed, Darlington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Abbey Infants' School?
Abbey Infants' School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Abbey Infants' School?
Classes at Abbey Infants' School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Abbey Infants' School?
Abbey Infants' School has around 264 pupils on roll. 3% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Abbey Infants' School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Abbey Infants' School in 2024/25. 6.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Abbey Infants' School?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming Abbey Infants' School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Abbey Infants' School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Abbey Infants' School: Sporting Futures (280m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Abbey Infants' School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Darlington is 9 (the median across 48 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Abbey Infants' School?
Abbey Infants' School is at Cleveland Terrace, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 8JA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)