Staindrop Academy

Staindrop Academy is a small but growing secondary school within the Advance Learning Partnership trust, led by a new headteacher since the previous inspection. Inspectors found the school to be performing at a strong standard overall, with inclusion and personal development and wellbeing standing out as particular strengths. Pupils feel safe, supported and part of a caring community, and staff identify and meet a wide range of needs well, including for pupils with SEND and those known to social care. The school also has a well-developed personal development programme, a broad enrichment offer, and effective leadership and governance. Safeguarding standards are met. Teaching and the curriculum are generally effective, with pupils making secure progress and Year 11 outcomes broadly in line with national averages. Behaviour is positive, suspensions are very low, and attendance has improved, though overall and persistent absence remain above national averages and are a continuing focus. Careers education is expected standard and supports pupils into appropriate next steps. Some pupils still need to close gaps in reading, handwriting and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils' recent English and maths GCSE outcomes were below national averages. The inspection also noted that an alleged serious incident at the school since the previous inspection is under investigation by the appropriate authorities; Ofsted considered the school's response alongside other evidence. Leaders' next steps are to embed curriculum, teaching and assessment improvements consistently across all subjects and to continue improving attendance, particularly for persistently absent pupils.

Strengths

• Inclusive culture that welcomes and supports all pupils, including those with SEND and social care involvement.
• Accurate identification of pupils' needs and highly effective staff training.
• Strong personal development and wellbeing programme woven through everyday school life.
• Pupils feel safe, cared for and part of a supportive community.
• Positive behaviour and respectful relationships, with very low suspension rates.
• Effective careers education that raises aspirations and supports appropriate destinations.
• Secure pupil progress, with Year 11 outcomes broadly in line with national averages.
• Carefully sequenced curriculum and generally effective teaching.
• Strong leadership and governance, with supportive trust arrangements and positive staff wellbeing.
• Wide range of enrichment activities, including for vulnerable pupils.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Overall absence and persistent absence remain above national averages.
• Leaders must continue improving attendance, particularly for persistently absent pupils.
• Curriculum, teaching and assessment are not yet consistently high quality across all subjects.
• Some pupils still have gaps in reading, handwriting and mathematics that require continued support.
• Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE outcomes were below national averages in 2024/25.

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 Staindrop Academy attended 89.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.5% 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, 2.8% of pupils at Staindrop Academy 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 Staindrop Academy had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.1% 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, 22.6% of pupils at Staindrop Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.2% 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 Staindrop Academy received £8,232 and spent £8,718 for each of its 470 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £70,000 (£148 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 · County Durham local authority: places and applications

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

• Copeland Road Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Woodhouse Primary Academy Bishop Auckland
• Bishop Barrington Academy Bishop Auckland
• Witton-le-Wear Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Howden-le-Wear Primary School Crook
• Hunwick Primary School Crook
• Greenfield Academy Newton Aycliffe
• Hummersknott Academy Darlington
• Hartside Primary Academy Crook
• Parkside Academy Crook

What is Staindrop Academy's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Staindrop Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Staindrop Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Staindrop Academy have?

Staindrop Academy has 504 pupils on roll.

What age range does Staindrop Academy cover?

Staindrop Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Staindrop Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.7, and 52% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Staindrop Academy?

Staindrop Academy is at Cleatlam Lane, Staindrop, Darlington, County Durham, DL2 3JU.