Borough Road Nursery School, Darlington
Borough Road Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Darlington. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Borough Road Nursery School in detail
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Borough Road Nursery School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 14.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (12.8%) received SEN support and 3 (2.8%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Darlington Rail Station - main ent, about 390 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hippodrome (o), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Borough Road Nursery School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 725 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Darlington (281), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Borough Road Nursery School excels at creating a caring, welcoming environment where children thrive emotionally and academically. Staff build strong relationships with each child and have high expectations for what they can achieve. The school is particularly strong at supporting children with additional needs and helping all children develop confidence, independence and a love of learning.
Key Strengths
- Warm, caring environment where children settle quickly and feel safe with strong staff-child relationships
- Broad, ambitious curriculum with skilled adults who weave learning into daily interactions
- Highly inclusive approach with excellent support for children with SEND and their families
- Strong promotion of personal, social and emotional development with celebration of different cultures
- Effective partnerships with local attractions like children's theatre company and visits to police and fire stations
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff need further support to consistently use high-quality interactions that make the most of children's learning opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to local children's theatre company, regular walks in local town, visits to police and fire stations, before- and after-school wraparound care, holiday club
Borough Road Nursery School is a caring and welcoming school that has maintained good standards. Children feel safe, happy and develop strong relationships with staff who have high expectations for all learners.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby nursery school
Keep up with Borough Road Nursery School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Borough Road Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Borough Road Nursery 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
- 60
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 23
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 23 serious and 36 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
Area Demand Pressure - Darlington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Darlington
Across Darlington council
Places available
1,370
Applications
1,134
Got 1st preference
91.5%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All secondary applications across Darlington council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
15.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
109
Total Pupils
55
Boys
54
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
36.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,301
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Borough Road Nursery School
What is Borough Road Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Borough Road Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Borough Road Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Borough Road Nursery School is oversubscribed, Darlington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Borough Road Nursery School?
Borough Road Nursery School has around 109 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Borough Road Nursery School?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming Borough Road Nursery 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.
How many road collisions happen near Borough Road Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 23 serious and 36 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Borough Road Nursery School?
Borough Road Nursery School is at Borough Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 1SG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)