The Rydal Academy, based in Darlington, provides primary education, serving pupils aged 2 to 11. The school is a academy sponsor led and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
The Rydal Academy currently has around 621 pupils on roll, which is about 99% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 53% boys and 47% girls. Around 49.6% 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 8.8%. Persistent absence is recorded at 30%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (68.1%).
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.
| Address: | Rydal Road, Darlington, DL1 4BH |
| Website: | https://rydal.nalp.org.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01325380784 |
| School Type: | Academy sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Darlington |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr John Armitage |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 138989 |
Ofsted inspection date: 06/12/2022
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 2 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 630 |
| Number of Pupils: | 621 |
| Number of Boys: | 329 |
| Number of Girls: | 292 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 8.8% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 30% | 8.2% |
| White British | 68.10% | 423 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 7.60% | 47 |
| African | 7.20% | 45 |
| Other White | 5.00% | 31 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 2.90% | 18 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 2.30% | 14 |
| Indian | 1.90% | 12 |
| Other Black | 1.30% | 8 |
| Chinese | 1.00% | 6 |
| Other Mixed | 0.60% | 4 |
| White and Asian | 0.50% | 3 |
| Other Asian | 0.50% | 3 |
| Caribbean | 0.30% | 2 |
| White and Black African | 0.30% | 2 |
| Pakistani | 0.20% | 1 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.20% | 1 |
| Unclassified | 0.20% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne Nursery School Belgrave Street , DL1 4AP | - not rated | 257 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Borough Road Nursery School Borough Road , DL1 1SG | 3out of 4 | 1,076 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Heathfield Nursery School The Broadway , DL1 1EJ | - not rated | 1,329 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Albert Hill Nursery School Prescott Street , DL1 2ND | - not rated | 1,922 yd | Local authority nursery school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Corporation Road Nursery School Corporation Road , DL3 6AR | - not rated | 2,058 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodmire Infants' School Rydal Road , DL1 4BH | - not rated | 62 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Dodmire Junior School Rydal Road , DL1 4BH | - not rated | 70 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's CofE (Aided) Primary School Fenby Avenue , Lascelles Park DL1 4UB | - not rated | 533 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's Church of England Academy Fenby Avenue , Lascelles Park DL1 4UB | 4out of 4 | 533 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Teresa's RC Primary School Harris Street , DL1 4NL | - not rated | 935 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Aidan's Church of England Academy Hundens Lane , DL1 1LL | 3out of 4 | 1,049 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Eastbourne Comprehensive School Hundens Lane , DL1 1LL | - not rated | 1,049 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Haughton Academy Salters Lane South , DL1 2AN | 3out of 4 | 2,850 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Haughton Community School Salters Lane South , DL1 2AN | - not rated | 2,850 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington College Central Park , Haughton Road DL1 1DR | - not rated | 1,460 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Vane Terrace , DL3 7AU | - not rated | 2,034 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Vane Terrace , DL3 7AU | - not rated | 2,034 yd | Academy 16-19 converter | 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 | 1,518 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington Alternative Centre for Education McMullen House , Yarm Road DL1 1ED | - not rated | 664 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Bridge McMullen House , Yarm Road DL1 1ED | - not rated | 691 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | More About School | |
| Polam Hall School Grange Road , DL1 5PA | - not rated | 1,584 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Yarm at Raventhorpe Carmel Road North , DL3 8JB | - not rated | 2,711 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Beaumont Hill School Salters Lane South , DL1 2AN | - not rated | 2,850 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.