Hummersknott Academy

Hummersknott Academy demonstrates a strong standard of educational provision characterized by effective leadership, robust attendance strategies, and a positive school culture. The school has made significant improvements in academic achievement, particularly in English and mathematics, and maintains a strong focus on personal development for all pupils. The inclusive environment helps to support disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, reflecting the school's commitment to meeting diverse learning needs. Overall, pupils feel safe, valued, and enjoy a range of extracurricular activities that promote their well-rounded development.

Strengths

• Strong leadership drives school improvements.
• High levels of pupil attendance and engagement.
• Effective personal development programmes fostering resilience and social understanding.
• Positive school culture with a focus on respect and care.
• Strong support systems for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• The implementation of the curriculum needs to be consistently embedded across all areas.
• Monitoring strategies for priority improvements require sharper focus on impact.

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 Hummersknott Academy attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.8% 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, 2.4% of pupils at Hummersknott Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Hummersknott Academy had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% 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, 16.4% of pupils at Hummersknott Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.3% 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 Hummersknott Academy received £7,863 and spent £7,946 for each of its 1,232 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £121,000 (£98 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of Advance Learning Partnership, income was £8,477 and spending £8,506 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 Darlington · Darlington local authority: places and applications

Hummersknott Academy is part of Advance Learning Partnership, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Skerne Park Academy Darlington
• Greenfield Academy Newton Aycliffe
• Copeland Road Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Woodhouse Primary Academy Bishop Auckland
• Staindrop Academy Darlington
• Bishop Barrington Academy Bishop Auckland
• Middlestone Moor Academy Durham
• Whitworth Park Academy Spennymoor
• Hunwick Primary School Crook
• Witton-le-Wear Primary School Bishop Auckland

What is Hummersknott Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hummersknott Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Hummersknott Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Hummersknott Academy was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Hummersknott Academy have?

Hummersknott Academy has 1,215 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hummersknott Academy cover?

Hummersknott Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Hummersknott Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.7, and 58% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Hummersknott Academy?

Hummersknott Academy is at Edinburgh Drive, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 8AR.