Carmel College

Carmel College is a highly successful, welcoming Roman Catholic secondary school where pupils flourish. Inspectors found provision to be exceptional across all judged areas: the curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is of high quality, pupils achieve highly, and behaviour is exemplary. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported skilfully, reading has high priority, and the sixth form provides strong academic challenge and independence. Personal development is a standout feature, with an impressive enrichment programme, strong careers guidance, meaningful work placements and a wide range of leadership opportunities. The school's Catholic ethos and community spirit are central to its work, and pupils show respect, kindness and genuine care for one another. Staff are valued, trustees and governors provide rigorous challenge and support, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since November 2013, when it was judged outstanding and later exempt from routine inspection. It is part of the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust. No significant weaknesses were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Broad, ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum from key stage 3 to sixth form
• High-quality teaching that builds on prior learning and checks understanding systematically
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and achieve exceptionally well from their starting points
• Strong reading provision, including support for early-stage readers and reading for pleasure
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and positive attitudes to learning
• Exceptional personal development programme covering safety, relationships, equality and British values
• Impressive enrichment programme with clubs, visits, events and leadership roles
• Detailed careers information, expert guidance and meaningful work placements
• Strong sixth-form provision with rich discussion, debate and independent learning
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Staff feel valued, with well-being and workload prioritised
• Trustees and governors hold leaders to account and the trust provides strong support

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 Carmel College attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 14.5% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Carmel College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Carmel College had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.7% 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, 12.1% of pupils at Carmel College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% 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 Carmel College received £8,529 and spent £8,504 for each of its 1,366 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,198,000 (£1,609 per pupil).

Across all 35 schools of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, income was £7,699 and spending £7,759 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

Carmel College is part of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, which runs 35 schools. The nearest others:

• Holy Family Catholic Primary School Darlington
• St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Darlington
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Darlington
• St Bede's Catholic Primary School Darlington
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Newton Aycliffe
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe
• St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland
• St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Stockton Stockton-On-Tees
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Coundon Bishop Auckland
• St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College Bishop Auckland

What is Carmel College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Carmel College is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Carmel College last inspected by Ofsted?

Carmel College was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Carmel College have?

Carmel College has 1,367 pupils on roll.

What age range does Carmel College cover?

Carmel College for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Carmel College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 52.7, and 54% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Carmel College?

Carmel College is at The Headlands, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 8RW.