Firthmoor Primary School

About Firthmoor Primary School

Firthmoor Primary School is a popular choice among local families, with 30 of its 32 reception places for 2025/26 going to first-preference applicants, and a total of 59 applications for those spots — an oversubscription ratio of 1.84. That level of demand suggests a strong reputation in the Darlington area, and it's backed up by the fact that the school has held a Good rating from Ofsted across both its most recent graded inspection in 2013 and its ungraded inspection in 2021, which confirmed it remains Good. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage — 53.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average — so the fact that it's oversubscribed is a notable signal of parental confidence. There's no parent view data available from Ofsted, but the application numbers speak for themselves: this is a school that local families actively want to get into.

Academically, Firthmoor performs solidly against the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 64% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Darlington average of 59%. That puts the school 11th out of 26 primaries in the local authority, and in the top half nationally. The maths results are a particular strength: 87% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, with an average scaled score of 107, and 31% achieved the higher standard. Reading and writing are more mixed — 76% reached the expected level in reading and 71% in writing, with higher-standard attainment at 20% and 9% respectively. Progress scores aren't published for this school, so it's hard to say how much value it adds, but the raw outcomes are comfortably above the LA benchmark.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sensory room, ICT suite, art studios, library, gymnasium, playing fields and even a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, swimming, football and netball, and there are clubs for science, drama, film and books. SEND support is well-documented, with provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Nursery provision is available from age three. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying from outside the immediate catchment should be aware that competition is real — 30 first-preference applicants were offered places, but 29 others were not. For families who value strong maths outcomes, a Good Ofsted rating, and a school that actively supports a wide range of additional needs, Firthmoor is a strong local option.

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