Rise Carr College, Darlington
Rise Carr College is a pru school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Darlington. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Rise Carr College in detail
Rise Carr College in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Inclusion is at the heart of everything that we do and we have an excellent reputation for working positively and purposefully with young people and their families to support them throughout their educational path. We fundamentally believe in the development of the whole child."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 23 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 61% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 57% to a further education college.
Who goes there
62.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 42 pupils (62.7%) received SEN support and 25 (37.3%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is North Road Rail Station, about 650 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hilton House (i), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Rise Carr College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 October 2013, 13 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Rise Carr College excels at building pupils' self-worth and helping them develop emotionally while engaging with their education. The school provides exceptional character development opportunities, including careers competitions and visits to areas of natural beauty, preparing pupils well for their next steps. Staff deliver high-quality pastoral support that helps pupils understand themselves and move forward positively.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding personal development with exceptional PSHE provision and enriching educational visits
- Skilled teaching that effectively identifies and addresses gaps in pupils' knowledge, with strong expertise in supporting early readers
- Very high-quality pastoral support helping pupils manage emotions and improve behaviour over time
- Strong attendance improvements, with most pupils attending more frequently than at their previous school
- Relentless leadership driving sustainable improvements since the last inspection
Areas for Improvement
- The structure of the school day sometimes hampers curriculum delivery and restricts the extent to which some pupils can learn
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils knowing who to share concerns with and feeling safe at school.
Extracurricular Activities
Careers competitions, educational visits to areas of natural beauty, culture days, meaningful encounters with the world of work, discussions on life issues with local listeners
Rise Carr College is a calm, community-connected school where pupils develop positive engagement with their education through warm relationships with staff and strong pastoral support. The school is highly ambitious for all its pupils, regardless of their past experiences or current challenges.
At a Glance
62.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Social & online
Keep up with Rise Carr College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rise Carr College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rise Carr College 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 12 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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
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(17)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
42
SEN Support
25
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
67
Total Pupils
53
Boys
14
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
4.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,329
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Rise Carr College
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Rise Carr College
What is Rise Carr College's Ofsted rating?
Rise Carr College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Rise Carr College?
No fixed boundary. When Rise Carr College is oversubscribed, Darlington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Rise Carr College?
Rise Carr College has around 67 pupils on roll. 63% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Rise Carr College?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming Rise Carr College 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 Rise Carr College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 12 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Rise Carr College?
Rise Carr College is at Eldon Street, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 0NS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)