Classpot

Polam Hall School

Darlington, DL1 5PASecondaryAges 4–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Oct 2021
Progress 8
-0.05
Below average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
115 1st-choice / 108 places
Ranking
#1,634
of 3,141 nationally

About Polam Hall School

Polam Hall School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 115 first-preference applications for just 108 places, and a total of 305 applications overall, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.82. That means nearly three families applied for every available spot, and 100 first-preference offers were made. While the school doesn't publish a parent recommendation percentage, the high demand speaks for itself. The school is a state-funded, mixed secondary for ages 4 to 16, with no sixth form, and is led by headteacher Kate Reid. It currently has 841 pupils on roll against a capacity of 882, so there is a little breathing room, but the oversubscription figures suggest that getting a place is competitive. The school serves a diverse community, with 29.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range4 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressGrange Road, Darlington, Darlington, DL1 5PA
HeadteacherKate Reid
Local AuthorityDarlington
Number of Pupils841
Free School Meals (FSM)29.6%
School Capacity841 / 882 (95% full)

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

5 Oct 2021
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 15 Nov 2021. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

10
Swimming PoolArt StudiosPlaying FieldsGymnasiumAstro TurfSixth Form CentreSports HallICT SuiteMusic RoomsTheatre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

16

Sports

Martial ArtsRoundersBasketballHockeyFootballRugbyCricketCross CountryDanceSwimming

Clubs & Activities

NewspaperDebateFilm ClubChessGardeningDuke of Edinburgh

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysicalMulti-SensoryOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:55 – 15:30

Breakfast club

07:30-08:55

After-school care

15:30-18:00

Source: phs.woodard.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Polam Hall School

Polam Hall School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.