The Rydal Academy, Darlington
The Rydal Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Darlington, part of Northern Arch Learning Partnership. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 27th-highest of the 29 schools in Darlington with published results, and 12,729th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Darlington (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Rydal Academy in detail
The Rydal Academy in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils at The Rydal Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Darlington and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 54% in reading and 41% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Rydal Academy
For September 2026 entry, 58 families put The Rydal Academy as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 66 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Rydal Academy are St John's Church of England Academy (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 77% reading, 77% maths); St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 97% maths); Skerne Park Academy (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 45% reading, 53% maths); and Firthmoor Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 76% maths).
The Rydal Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St John's Church of England AcademySt Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolSkerne Park AcademyFirthmoor Primary School
The trust
The Rydal Academy is one of 6 schools run by Northern Arch Learning Partnership, an academy trust.
Who goes there
47.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (71%) and Black (9%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Darlington Rail Station, about 560 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Neasham Rd Surgery (o), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 546 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Darlington (281), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Rydal Academy issued 21 suspensions, 3.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Rydal Academy are St Aidan's Church of England Academy (0.6 miles), Polam Hall School (0.9 miles) and Haughton Academy (1.6 miles).
St Aidan's Church of England AcademyPolam Hall SchoolHaughton Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
47.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 54% to 62% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 41% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 44% to 54% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
25.4
KS2
23
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Rydal Academy
Before and after school care
The Rydal Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Darlington
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Rydal Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Rydal Academy 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
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 18 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
4 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
Your chances of a place at The Rydal Academy
Will you get a place at The Rydal Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Rydal Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Rydal Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Rydal Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Darlington, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Rydal Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Darlington got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
539 pupils
630 places
91 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Darlington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Darlington
Across Darlington council
Places available
1,260
Applications
1,075
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Darlington council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
124
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
25.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
584
Total Pupils
312
Boys
272
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,922
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,847
Per pupil
£3734k
Total funding
£377k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.7%
Overall absence
25.5%
Persistent absence
494
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
The Rydal Academy
Questions parents ask about The Rydal Academy
What are SATs results like at The Rydal Academy?
Of the pupils at The Rydal Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 62% reached the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in maths.
What is The Rydal Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Rydal Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2022.
What is the catchment area for The Rydal Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Rydal Academy is oversubscribed, Darlington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Rydal Academy?
The Rydal Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at The Rydal Academy?
Classes at The Rydal Academy average 25 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Rydal Academy?
The Rydal Academy has around 584 pupils on roll. 48% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Rydal Academy?
7.7% of sessions were missed at The Rydal Academy in 2024/25. 25.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Rydal Academy?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming The Rydal Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does The Rydal Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
The Rydal Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near The Rydal Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 18 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 The Rydal Academy?
The Rydal Academy is at Rydal Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 4BH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)