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Darlington, North East
Polam Hall School is an all-through free school in Darlington, North East.
Government data shown for the 2024/25 academic year
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Polam Hall School is an all-through free school in Darlington, North East. It has not yet been rated by students on y.school. Be the first to rate this free school and help other students and parents understand what the school experience is really like.
In terms of academic performance, Polam Hall School has a Progress 8 score of -0.05 (below the national average), an Attainment 8 score of 42.0, 54% of students achieving grade 4+ in English and Maths, 63% of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at KS2.
The school has 441 pupils on roll, a teacher turnover rate of 10.7%, 26% of pupils eligible for free school meals, an overall absence rate of 8.7%.
All student scores on y.school are calculated from anonymous ratings using a transparent, deterministic methodology. Scores are freshness-weighted (18-month half-life) and include confidence tiers based on sample size, diversity, and consistency. For full details, see the y.school methodology.
Profile completeness: 5 of 8 data domains · Good coverage
5.9
Average
/ 10
Data Score
Computed from 25 government data points. Not based on student reviews.
Source: DfE / Ofsted · context onlyGovernment data is shown for context and does not influence the student-review Student Score. Small schools can show extreme percentages from small sample sizes.
Latest government data shown is for the 2024/25 academic year; some figures cover earlier years.
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The area around this school
Polam Hall School has a Progress 8 score of -0.05, which is below the national average of 0. Progress 8 measures how much progress students make between the end of Key Stage 2 and their GCSE results, compared to students with similar starting points nationally.
The school's Attainment 8 score is 42.0. Attainment 8 measures the average achievement of students across 8 qualifications including English, Maths, three EBacc subjects, and three open group qualifications.
54% of students at Polam Hall School achieved grade 4 or above in both English and Maths GCSEs.
At Polam Hall School, 63% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined at the end of Key Stage 2.
81% met the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths.
Polam Hall School has an overall absence rate of 8.7%. The national average for primary schools was approximately 6.0% (DfE, 2023/24).
The teacher turnover rate at Polam Hall School is 10.7%. This measures the percentage of teachers who left the school in the past year.
Polam Hall School has 441 pupils on roll.
26% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is used as a proxy for socioeconomic disadvantage.
14% of pupils receive SEN (Special Educational Needs) support or have an Education, Health and Care plan.
Polam Hall School was rated "Good" by Ofsted following an inspection in October 2021 (4 years ago). Based on Ofsted's inspection cycle, Polam Hall School is overdue for reinspection.
In context — vs similar-intake schools
Above par for its intakePolam Hall School is in the upper half for Progress 8 among schools with a similar intake (24–34% of pupils eligible for free school meals).
Compared with 697 schools nationally that have a similar share of disadvantaged pupils (24–34% of pupils eligible for free school meals). Raw league-table positions are heavily shaped by intake; this comparison isolates how a school performs relative to others facing similar circumstances. Progress 8 already accounts for prior attainment. Source: Department for Education.
Schools like this one
Matched on the share of disadvantaged pupils plus special-needs, English-as-an-additional-language and school size — so you can compare like with like, not just by postcode.
National percentiles (100 = best) for the area around the school · 5/5 measures · Police.uk, DEFRA, NaPTAN, DfT STATS19, MHCLG IoD 2025.
Other schools in the Darlington area
A "Good" rating means Ofsted found the school provides a high standard of education across all areas assessed. It has historically been the most common Ofsted rating.
Note: From November 2025, Ofsted replaced single-word judgements with detailed report cards covering multiple categories. While Polam Hall School's rating shown above was awarded under the previous system, Ofsted now provides more granular assessments. For the most up-to-date inspection information, check the school's report card on the Ofsted website.
Ofsted data is shown for context only and does not influence the Student Score. For the official report, visit reports.ofsted.gov.uk.