George Dent Nursery School, Darlington
George Dent Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Darlington. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
George Dent Nursery School in detail
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 13.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 15 pupils (15.5%) received SEN support and 5 (5.2%) 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 North Road Rail Station, about 950 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holy Trinity Church (i), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood George Dent Nursery School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 635 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Darlington (281), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its February 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby nursery school
Keep up with George Dent Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to George Dent Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. George Dent 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
- 37
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 11 serious and 25 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on a bicycle.
10 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)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
20.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
97
Total Pupils
58
Boys
39
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
32.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£62,106
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about George Dent Nursery School
What is George Dent Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
George Dent Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for George Dent Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When George Dent Nursery School is oversubscribed, Darlington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to George Dent Nursery School?
George Dent Nursery School has around 97 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to George Dent Nursery School?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming George Dent 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 George Dent Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 11 serious and 25 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on a bicycle. 10 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 George Dent Nursery School?
George Dent Nursery School is at Elms Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 7PY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)