St Aidan's Church of England Academy
Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 11–16 · Darlington
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Darlington Borough Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2025 figure 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
St Aidan's Church of England Academy is a secondary school in Darlington for ages 11–16 (academy sponsor led). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Some aspects not as strong, from the inspection on 11 June 2025. Darlington has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2025 to 2026 entry.
St Aidan's Church of England Academy catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Every applicant was offered a Year 7 place in 2026, as happened at 3 of the 5 other Darlington secondary schools with a published Year 7 2026 outcome.
- For Year 7 2026 there were 76 first-choice applications for 83 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 7 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
- GCSE 2024/25: 41% got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 45%), the 3rd lowest of 7 schools: this one and the 6 nearest secondary schools in Darlington.
- In 2024/25 the Attainment 8 score was 40 (England 46).
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Darlington schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Hundens Lane, Darlington, DL1 1LL
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Darlington
- Pupils on roll
- 587 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 45.3% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 16.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Some aspects not as strong Inspected 11 June 2025
Strengths
- “St Aidan’s CofE Academy is a warm and welcoming school.”
- “They enjoy positive relationships with staff.”
- “Pupils are encouraged to fulfil the school’s vision to ‘live life to the full’.”
To improve
- “Pupils’ outcomes in public examinations in 2024 were low.”
- “Despite most pupils moving on to further education and training, they were not as well prepared as they should have been.”
- “There is some variation in the effectiveness of the ways teaching supports pupils to develop their knowledge deeply, over time.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 14 July 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 41% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 40 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 76 first-preference applications, 83 offers in total, 76 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Darlington.
- Haughton Academy 1.0 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Longfield Academy 1.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Carmel College 2.2 mi Not judged
- Hummersknott Academy 2.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Wyvern Academy 2.7 mi Good Last distance published
- Hurworth School 2.9 mi Good Last distance published