Abbey Junior School, Darlington
Abbey Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Darlington, part of Melrose Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 29 schools in Darlington with published results, and 2,040th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Capacity
- 98% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Abbey Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at Abbey Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Darlington and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 71% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Abbey Junior School
Across Darlington, 93% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Darlington lodged 7 appeals against primary school offers; 7 reached a hearing and 1 succeeded (14.3% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Abbey Junior School are Abbey Infants' School (0.2 miles, Good); St Augustine's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 90% reading, 74% maths); Mowden Infant School (0.6 miles, Good); and Mowden Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths).
Abbey Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Abbey Infants' SchoolSt Augustine's Catholic Primary SchoolMowden Infant SchoolMowden Junior School
The trust
Abbey Junior 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
9.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 34 pupils (9.4%) received SEN support and 14 (3.9%) 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 Elton Road (i), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Abbey Junior School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Abbey Junior School issued 3 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Abbey Junior School are Carmel College (0.4 miles), Polam Hall School (0.7 miles), Hummersknott Academy (0.8 miles) and Wyvern Academy (1.2 miles).
Carmel CollegePolam Hall SchoolHummersknott AcademyWyvern Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 71% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 74% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 73% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
29.9
KS2
12
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Abbey Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Abbey Junior School.
- Sporting FuturesAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Abbey Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Abbey Junior 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
354 pupils
360 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.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
13.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
362
Total Pupils
178
Boys
184
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
20.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,950
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1853k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
5.8%
Persistent absence
359
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
Questions parents ask about Abbey Junior School
What are SATs results like at Abbey Junior School?
Of the pupils at Abbey Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is Abbey Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Abbey Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Abbey Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Abbey Junior 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 Junior School?
Abbey Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Abbey Junior School?
Classes at Abbey Junior School average 29.9 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Abbey Junior School?
Abbey Junior School has around 362 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Abbey Junior School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Abbey Junior School in 2024/25. 5.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Abbey Junior School?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming Abbey Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Abbey Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Sporting Futures (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 Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Junior School?
Abbey Junior School is at Abbey Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 8NN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)