Darrington Church of England Primary School

Darrington Church of England Primary School is a calm, welcoming school where pupils are polite, happy and safe, and where the core values of peace, respect and friendship shape daily life. Inspectors found strong provision across behaviour, personal development and early years, with pupils benefiting from rich experiences, good spiritual and moral development, and a well-established reading and phonics programme. New leaders have begun to improve the quality of education and have ambitious plans; English and mathematics are already strong, and staff report feeling well supported. Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported, especially in early years, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. However, some subjects have very new curriculums, and pupils have gaps in knowledge that teachers do not consistently identify or address. Some teachers are also less confident in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, so provision is not evenly strong across the school. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it remains a single academy trust with a new headteacher.

Strengths

• Pupils are polite, considerate and happy; behaviour is calm and lessons are rarely disrupted.
• Strong early reading provision includes well-matched books, effective phonics coaching and swift catch-up support.
• Well-considered curriculums in English, mathematics and history help pupils remember and apply knowledge.
• Rich and stimulating early years provision builds children’s independence and knowledge through practical activities.
• A clear focus on oracy and vocabulary helps pupils develop and use complex language.
• Pupils’ spiritual and moral development is a strength, including debate of topical issues and pupil voice.
• Most pupils with SEND are well supported, with high-quality interventions and a sensory room.
• Staff are overwhelmingly happy and proud to work at the school, and governors provide effective challenge and support.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject curriculums are new, leaving legacy gaps that are not routinely identified or addressed.
• Teachers are not consistently clear about the key knowledge pupils need in newer subjects, so misconceptions can persist.
• Some teachers lack confidence in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, so provision is not consistently strong across school.

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 Darrington Church of England Primary School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 3.1% of pupils at Darrington Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Darrington Church of England Primary School had 28.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 12.4% of pupils at Darrington Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Darrington Church of England Primary School received £6,847 and spent £6,565 for each of its 124 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £57,000 (£460 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.

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What is Darrington Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Darrington Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Darrington Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Darrington Church of England Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Darrington Church of England Primary School have?

Darrington Church of England Primary School has 129 pupils on roll.

What age range does Darrington Church of England Primary School cover?

Darrington Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Darrington Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Darrington Church of England Primary School?

Darrington Church of England Primary School is at Denby Crest, Darrington, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 3SB.