Haberdashers' Abraham Darby

Haberdashers' Abraham Darby School demonstrates a mixed performance overall, having areas of both strength and concern. The school meets the safeguarding standards, creating a safe environment for students. However, pupil achievement and progress are below national averages, particularly at the end of key stage 4, and some students face challenges in fully grasping key knowledge due to insufficient lesson challenges. Despite these concerns, there are some positive indicators such as improved attendance, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, and generally strong behavior from post-16 students. The school is also committed to providing an ambitious curriculum, but the inconsistency in its delivery remains an issue.

Strengths

• Strong safeguarding culture that ensures pupils feel safe.
• Broad post-16 offer combining academic and vocational routes.
• Engaged and positive behaviour among post-16 students.
• Effective personal development programme that meets statutory requirements.
• Supportive systems in place for identifying and assessing pupils' needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Overall pupil attainment and progress sit below national averages.
• Inconsistent implementation of curriculum and teaching strategies.
• Attendance remains below national averages, despite some improvements.
• Behaviour is variable during transitions between lessons.
• Delivery of personal development programme lacks consistency in places.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Haberdashers' Abraham Darby attended 90.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 13.5% of pupils at Haberdashers' Abraham Darby were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Haberdashers' Abraham Darby had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.4% of pupils at Haberdashers' Abraham Darby were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Haberdashers' Abraham Darby received £8,979 and spent £9,434 for each of its 1,063 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £488,000 (£459 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Haberdashers' West Midlands Academies Trust, income was £8,982 and spending £9,205 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Telford · Telford and Wrekin local authority: places and applications

Haberdashers' Abraham Darby is part of Haberdashers' West Midlands Academies Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Haberdashers' Adams Newport

What is Haberdashers' Abraham Darby's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Haberdashers' Abraham Darby is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Haberdashers' Abraham Darby last inspected by Ofsted?

Haberdashers' Abraham Darby was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Haberdashers' Abraham Darby have?

Haberdashers' Abraham Darby has 1,084 pupils on roll.

What age range does Haberdashers' Abraham Darby cover?

Haberdashers' Abraham Darby for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Haberdashers' Abraham Darby's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 34.4, and 28% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Haberdashers' Abraham Darby?

Haberdashers' Abraham Darby is at Ironbridge Road, Madeley, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 5HX.