Darlington
Polam Hall School
Dependable results for a comprehensive intake; the journey is the main thing to weigh.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 44.6 is close to the national average of around 46.
- 44.6
- Attainment 8
- 61%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2024/2025
- Academic year
Progress is close to average or statistically uncertain because the confidence interval crosses zero. This does not necessarily mean the school adds or detracts from pupil progress.
- -0.05
- Progress 8
- [-0.36, 0.26]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Admissions and catchment
Council allocation figures
Add a postcode to see where you would sit against past cut-offs.
We have not collected Darlington council’s allocation figures for this school yet. We only show a verdict when we can cite the council’s published figures. Check Darlington’s allocation booklet, or the school’s website.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Reception entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 45 | 43 | 40 (93%) | 137 |
| September 2025 | 41 | 38 | 38 (100%) | 125 |
| September 2024 | 45 | 46 | 43 (93%) | 129 |
| September 2023 | 42 | 42 | 42 (100%) | 84 |
| September 2022 | 41 | 33 | 33 (100%) | 72 |
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 107 | 101 | 98 (97%) | 287 |
| September 2025 | 108 | 115 | 100 (87%) | 305 |
| September 2024 | 108 | 108 | 103 (95%) | 288 |
| September 2023 | 110 | 114 | 95 (83%) | 254 |
| September 2022 | 109 | 88 | 88 (100%) | 214 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Darlington’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 13 | 0% England 1% | 23% England 14% | 23% England 19% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/2025 | 90 | 44.6 | — | 61.1% | 33.3% | 4.0 |
| 2023/2024 | 85 | 42.0 | -0.05 | 42.4% | 36.5% | 3.8 |
| 2022/2023 | 67 | 42.7 | -0.34 | 49.0% | 34.0% | 3.8 |
| 2021/2022 | 72 | 49.8 | +0.15 | 68.0% | 39.0% | 4.3 |
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Darlington for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 142174 |
| Local authority | Darlington |
| Region | North East |
| Phase | All-through |
| Type | Free schools |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 4-16 |
| Headteacher | Kate Reid |
| Trust | WOODARD ACADEMIES TRUST |
| Admissions | — |
| Religious character | None |
| Postcode | DL1 5PA |
| Latest pupils | 90 |
| FSM eligible | 29.6% |
Contact and identifiers
Grange Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 5PA
https://www.phs.woodard.co.uk/1325463383| DfE number | 6000 |
| UKPRN | 10053816 |
| Opened | 1 Sept 2015 |
| GIAS updated | 13 Mar 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 13 Mar 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2024/2025 |
| Latest KS2 year | 2024/2025 |
| Ofsted published | 15 Nov 2021 |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
| Inspection type | Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | 5 Oct 2021 |
| Publication date | 15 Nov 2021 |