Skip to content
SchoolPatch
SecondaryState · Academy converter

Hummersknott Academy

Edinburgh Drive, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 8AR ·

Report card: strong areas· 2026
Compare

At a glance

A state secondary academy for ages 11–16 in Darlington. Ofsted report card (February 2026): strong areas. GCSE results are around the England average (Attainment 8: 47.8 vs 46.1, 2024/25). 205 families put it first for 247 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages
11–16
Pupils
1,215
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
No
Admissions
Non-selective
Local authority
Darlington
Academy trust
ADVANCE LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Headteacher
Mr Grant Sowerby
Opened
Jul 2011

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports
Inspected 3 Feb 2026Published 26 Apr 2026
  • SafeguardingMet
  • InclusionExpected standard
  • Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
  • AchievementExpected standard
  • Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
  • Personal development and well-beingStrong standard
  • Leadership and governanceExpected standard

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 241 pupils

Attainment 8
47.8
England 46.1
Grade 5+ Eng & maths
57.3%
England 45.4%
Grade 4+ Eng & maths
74.3%
England 64.8%
Progress 8
-0.48
2023/24 · CI -0.66 to -0.31
This school
47.8
Darlington
44.3
England
46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made
247
1st preferences
205
All applications
421
1st prefs per place
0.83
Fewer first choices than places

199 of 205 first-preference applicants were offered a place (97%). 1 offers went to families living in another council area.

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils
1,230
Capacity
1,200
101% full
Girls / boys
50/50
Mixed
  • Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)23%
  • English as an additional language3.7%
  • SEN support17.5%
  • Education, Health and Care plan1.8%
  • The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.
Hummersknott Academy, Darlington · SchoolPatch