Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 6 December 2022
Compared with the local authority and England
The share of pupils reaching the standard expected for their age, and the share going beyond it.
| Measure | School | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing & maths — expected | 46% | 62% | 63% |
| Reading, writing & maths — higher | 4% | 7% | 8% |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling — expected | 71% | 72% | 73% |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling — higher | 23% | 29% | 30% |
A score of 100 is the expected standard; 110 or more is a higher standard.
| Subject | School | Darlington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 103 | 105 | 106 |
| Maths | 101 | 104 | 105 |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling | 103 | 105 | 105 |
School workforce census, 2025/26.
The Rydal Academy was graded Good at its last Ofsted inspection, on 6 December 2022.
Apply through the council where you live by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference, and offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day. A place in its nursery class does not carry on into Reception, so you still need to apply.
No. Distance only counts when The Rydal Academy 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. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The Rydal Academy had 617 pupils aged 2 to 11 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 630. It is a mixed school.