The Rydal Academy
Rydal Road, Darlington, DL1 4BH
584 pupils · 93% of 630 capacity
- Phase
- Primary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 2–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- NORTHERN ARCH LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
- Local authority
- Darlington
- Free school meals
- 51.6%
Ofsted
Good (2022) — Rated under the pre-September 2024 inspection system
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 6 December 2022, published 31 January 2023. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 46% |
| Reaching the higher standard | 4% |
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.88 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 66 | 58 | 107 | 64 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 56 | 50 | 109 | 54 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 81 | 64 | 124 | 79 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 56 | 55 | 82 | 55 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 82 | 56 | 85 | 59 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 46 | 45 | 65 | 46 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 62 | 59 | 86 | 59 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 64 | 56 | 90 | 62 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- St John's Church of England Academy 0.5 km · Outstanding (2022) · previous system
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School 0.9 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Skerne Park Academy 1 km · Requires improvement (2024) · previous system
- Firthmoor Primary School 1.1 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
- Heathfield Primary School 1.2 km · Good (2019) · previous system
- St Augustine's Catholic Primary School 1.5 km · Good (2024) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.