St Aidan's Church of England Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Hundens Lane Darlington County Durham DL1 1LL |
| Phone | 01325373770 |
| Reference Number | 135314 |
St Aidan’s Church of England Academy is currently performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas. The school has made significant improvements since its last inspection, shifting from a 'Requires Improvement' grade and demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting its students. The staff create a warm and caring environment where pupils feel safe, respected, and proud of their school. This development is attributed to strong leadership and a robust curriculum focused on preparing pupils for life beyond school, despite some gaps in knowledge due to past staffing challenges.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 594 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 51.18%
Girls: 48.82% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 43.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 12.8% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 70 | 59 | 129 |
| 8 | 67 | 60 | 127 |
| 9 | 54 | 61 | 115 |
| 10 | 58 | 51 | 109 |
| 11 | 55 | 59 | 114 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 78.8% |
| African | 8.4% |
| White, Other | 4.5% |
| Asian, Other | 2.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.2% |
| White & Asian | 1% |
| Indian | 1% |
| Chinese | 0.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Report Date | 07 Jan 2020 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 10 Jun 2025 | School inspection |
| 07 Jan 2020 | School inspection: |
| 16 Nov 2018 | Monitoring visit |
| 12 Sep 2017 | Full inspection: |
| 10 Feb 2016 | Full inspection: |
| 08 Oct 2015 | Monitoring visit |
| 30 Apr 2015 | Monitoring visit |
| 19 Jan 2015 | Monitoring visit |
| 07 Oct 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 25 Apr 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 16 Jan 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 16 Jun 2011 | Monitoring visit |
| 27 Jan 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 20 Jan 2009 | Monitoring visit |
Strengths
- Strong leadership and management showing a commitment to improvement
- Pupils feel safe, happy, and valued
- Good behaviour and low levels of disruption
- A strong curriculum that extends beyond GCSE preparation
- Effective teaching that builds good relationships with pupils
- Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
Areas for Improvement
- Some gaps in knowledge in subjects due to previous staffing changes
- Curriculum planning is not yet fully coherent in some areas
- Opportunities for extending pupils' understanding could be improved
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 40.9% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 52.7% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 37 | 2 |
| Third Preference | 23 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 1 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Heathfield Primary School
The Broadway, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 1EJ |
0.24 miles |
|
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0.5 miles |
|
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0.6 miles |
|
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|
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|
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|
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|
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|
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