St Aidan's Church of England Academy, Darlington
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St Aidan's creates a warm, orderly environment where pupils feel happy and safe. The school offers a broad curriculum and lots of opportunities for wider development through leadership roles, trips, and clubs. Teachers are knowledgeable and the school supports pupils with additional needs appropriately.
Key Strengths
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with a good range of academic, vocational and creative subjects
- Warm, welcoming environment with calm behaviour and well-embedded routines
- Teachers explain concepts clearly and identify pupils with SEND accurately
- Wide range of enrichment opportunities including reading and sports leadership roles
- Strong pastoral support and celebration of diversity
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent teaching quality means pupils do not achieve deep knowledge and skills they need
- High levels of pupil absence and persistent absence causing significant learning gaps
- Behaviour policy not applied consistently, affecting pupil motivation
- Reading for pleasure not widely promoted
- Recent examination outcomes were low
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Reading leaders, sports leaders, cookery, art, dance, range of sports, residential visits, cultural site trips
St Aidan's Church of England Academy is a warm and welcoming secondary school where pupils are happy and enjoy positive relationships with staff. However, evidence suggests the school's work may not be as strong as at the previous inspection, with low examination outcomes in 2024 and inconsistencies in teaching quality.
At a Glance
45.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
33 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
24.3
Avg class size
23
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
Commute Calculator
Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply
What are my chances?
Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
84%
Available places
587 pupils
700 capacity
113 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Darlington
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Darlington
Admissions Demand - Darlington
Places available
1,375
Applications
1,137
Got 1st preference
91.8%
Got preferred school
98.9%
Secondary admissions across Darlington (2025/26)
Inspection History(114)
House Prices
Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost
SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.35899%
Overall absence
35.52426%
Persistent absence
639
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Aidan's Church of England Academy
Heathfield Primary School
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School
The Rydal Academy
St John's Church of England Academy
Gurney Pease Academy
Firthmoor Primary School
Red Hall Primary School
Springfield Academy
Corporation Road Community Primary School
Northwood Primary School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
Do you work at this school?
Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.