Marchbank Free School, Darlington
Marchbank Free School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Darlington, part of The Education Village Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Marchbank Free School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Marchbank Free School are Embleton View (1 mile, Good); Beaumont Hill Academy (2.6 miles, Good); Clervaux Garden School (3.3 miles, Good); and Hurworth House School Aspris Children's services (4.1 miles, Outstanding).
Embleton ViewBeaumont Hill AcademyClervaux Garden SchoolHurworth House School Aspris Children's services
The trust
Marchbank Free School is one of 7 schools run by The Education Village Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
66.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Marchbank Free School has an education, health and care plan (63 of 63 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Marchbank Free School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 65 places, 65 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is North Road Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mowden Hall (o), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Marchbank Free School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 135 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Darlington (281).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Marchbank Free School issued 1 suspension, 1.8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
66.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism, SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 30% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 6% to 10% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 6% to 0% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Marchbank Free School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Marchbank Free School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Marchbank Free 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
63 pupils
65 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
63
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Marchbank Free School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 65 places, 65 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
63
Total Pupils
53
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,702
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.5%
Overall absence
21.4%
Persistent absence
56
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Marchbank Free School
Questions parents ask about Marchbank Free School
What are SATs results like at Marchbank Free School?
Of the pupils at Marchbank Free School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 30% reached the expected standard in reading and 10% did so in maths.
What is Marchbank Free School's Ofsted rating?
Marchbank Free School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Marchbank Free School?
No fixed boundary. When Marchbank Free School is oversubscribed, Darlington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Marchbank Free School?
Marchbank Free School has around 63 pupils on roll. 67% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Marchbank Free School have specialist SEN provision?
Marchbank Free School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 65 places, 65 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Marchbank Free School?
7.5% of sessions were missed at Marchbank Free School in 2024/25. 21.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Marchbank Free School?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming Marchbank Free 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 Marchbank Free School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 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 Marchbank Free School?
Marchbank Free School is at Mowden Hall, Barnes Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 9BL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)