Haughton Academy, Darlington

Ofsted's report card from its 12 May 2026 inspection grades Haughton Academy on 6 areas: 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders understand the strengths and areas for improvement in relation to the curriculum and its implementation."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify and assess needs quickly and accurately."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "There have been changes in the school's leadership over the last year."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have implemented a well-structured programme of personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Some pupils do not achieve highly enough in national tests and examinations."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "A significant minority of pupils are absent from school too often."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further consider, and adapt where necessary, the support they provide to help pupils regulate their emotions and manage their behaviour so that they remain engaged in school"; "Leaders should ensure severe and persistent absence continues to reduce so that pupils with very low attendance access more of their education"; "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is consistently taught well, through high-quality teaching, to enable pupils to secure their learning over time"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils develop the knowledge and skills that they need, in order to achieve at a higher level in national tests and examinations".

In 2026, pupils at Haughton Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.6 in Darlington and 47 across England.

47% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Darlington and 47% in England.

That is up from 38 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.57: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 35.6, against 47.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Design and Technology and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 181 families put Haughton Academy as their first choice and 291 named it as one of their preferences, for 187 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Haughton Academy are St Aidan's Church of England Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 41.6); Longfield Academy (1.2 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 39.8); Polam Hall School (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.9); and Carmel College (2.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 52.7).

Haughton Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Haughton Academy is one of 7 schools run by The Education Village Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 136 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 61% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

42.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 235 pupils (27.5%) received SEN support and 30 (3.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is North Road Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Springwell Terrace (o), 130 metres away.

In 2024/25, Haughton Academy issued 723 suspensions, 81.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Haughton Academy are Springfield Academy (under 0.1 miles), Whinfield Primary School (0.4 miles), St Bede's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles) and Red Hall Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.