Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 1 October 2024
Compared with the local authority and England
Attainment 8 scores a pupil's best 8 GCSE results, out of about 90. Progress 8 compares those results with pupils who started secondary school at the same level: 0 is average.
| Measure | School | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 53.5 | 44.3 | 46.1 |
Grade 4 is a standard pass; grade 5 is a strong pass.
| Measure | School | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 60% | 46% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 81% | 65% | 65% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 78% | 60% | 60% |
The EBacc is English, maths, science, a language, and history or geography. It is a set of subjects rather than a qualification.
| Measure | School | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entering the EBacc | 74% | 36% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
Based on 208 pupils at the end of key stage 4.
School workforce census, 2025/26.
Ofsted’s survey of parents at this school
90%
of parents would recommend this school to another parent
136 responses up to 1 September 2025 · 10% response rate
My child is happy at this school.
90% agreeMy child feels safe at this school.
90% agreeThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
91% agreeMy child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.
63% agreeThe school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.
76% agreeCarmel College's last overall grade from Ofsted was Outstanding, on 19 November 2013. Ofsted inspected it again on 1 October 2024 without giving an overall grade, as single-word grades ended in September 2024.
Apply through the council where you live by 31 October in your child's Year 6, for a place starting the following September. You apply to your home council even if Carmel College is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 1 March, or the next working day. As a Roman Catholic school it may also ask for a supplementary form, and its admissions policy says whether it does.
No. Distance only counts when Carmel College has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its academy trust, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. As a Roman Catholic school, it can give priority to children on grounds of faith. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
Carmel College had 1,367 pupils aged 11 to 18 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 1,382. It is a mixed school with a sixth form.