Polam Hall School is a all-through school in Darlington, serving pupils aged 4 to 16. The school is a free schools and operates as a mixed school. It has a none religious character.
Polam Hall School currently has around 841 pupils on roll, which is about 95% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 47.6% boys and 52.4% girls. Around 29.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 8.7%. Persistent absence is recorded at 26.2%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (75.5%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 89% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (85%) , including 42% who stay in school sixth forms and 26% progressing to further education , while 2% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5PA |
| Website: | https://www.phs.woodard.co.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01325463383 |
| School Type: | Free schools |
| Education phase: | All-through |
| Local authority: | Darlington |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Principal Kate Reid |
| Religious character: | None |
| Admissions policy: | |
| Unique reference: | 142174 |
Ofsted inspection date: 05/10/2021
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 16 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 882 |
| Number of Pupils: | 841 |
| Number of Boys: | 400 |
| Number of Girls: | 441 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 8.7% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 26.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 75.50% | 635 |
| Other White | 6.80% | 57 |
| African | 3.10% | 26 |
| Unclassified | 2.60% | 22 |
| Other Mixed | 1.70% | 14 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.50% | 13 |
| Indian | 1.50% | 13 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.40% | 12 |
| White and Asian | 1.30% | 11 |
| Other Asian | 1.30% | 11 |
| Chinese | 0.80% | 7 |
| White and Black African | 0.70% | 6 |
| Other Black | 0.70% | 6 |
| Pakistani | 0.50% | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.20% | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.10% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.10% | 1 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Dent Nursery School Elms Road , DL3 7PY | 4out of 4 | 1,230 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Borough Road Nursery School Borough Road , DL1 1SG | 3out of 4 | 1,243 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Eastbourne Nursery School Belgrave Street , DL1 4AP | - not rated | 1,491 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Corporation Road Nursery School Corporation Road , DL3 6AR | - not rated | 1,635 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Albert Hill Nursery School Prescott Street , DL1 2ND | - not rated | 2,349 yd | Local authority nursery school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Beechwood Avenue , DL3 7HP | 3out of 4 | 334 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Augustine's RC Primary School Beechwood Avenue , DL3 7HP | - not rated | 334 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Skerne Park Infants' School Parkside , DL1 5TB | - not rated | 944 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Skerne Park Primary School Coleridge Gardens , DL1 5AJ | - not rated | 997 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Skerne Park Academy Coleridge Gardens , DL1 5AJ | 2out of 4 | 997 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel College The Headlands , DL3 8RW | - not rated | 1,908 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Carmel RC College The Headlands , DL3 8RW | - not rated | 1,908 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Aidan's Church of England Academy Hundens Lane , DL1 1LL | 3out of 4 | 2,179 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Eastbourne Comprehensive School Hundens Lane , DL1 1LL | - not rated | 2,179 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Hummersknott Academy Edinburgh Drive , DL3 8AR | 3out of 4 | 2,368 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Vane Terrace , DL3 7AU | - not rated | 891 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Vane Terrace , DL3 7AU | - not rated | 891 yd | Academy 16-19 converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Darlington College Central Park , Haughton Road DL1 1DR | - not rated | 1,936 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polam Hall School Grange Road , DL1 5PA | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polam Hall School Grange Road , DL1 5PA | - not rated | 76 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Yarm at Raventhorpe Carmel Road North , DL3 8JB | - not rated | 1,215 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Darlington Alternative Centre for Education McMullen House , Yarm Road DL1 1ED | - not rated | 1,739 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Bridge McMullen House , Yarm Road DL1 1ED | - not rated | 1,846 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | More About School | |
| Meadholme Dene Grove , DL3 9LU | - not rated | 1,885 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.