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Skerne Park Academy

Darlington, DL1 5AJPrimaryAges 2–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
Jun 2024
KS2 Results
15%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
30 1st-choice / 31 places
Ranking
#13,608
of 13,686 nationally

About Skerne Park Academy

Skerne Park Academy is a state primary school in Darlington, serving children from age 2 to 11. It sits within a local authority that contains 29 primary schools, and its most recent ranking places it 26th among them, putting it in the bottom half locally. The top-performing peers in Darlington include St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, West Park Academy, and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, all of which achieved significantly higher ranking scores. The school is led by headteacher Clair Gooding and has a mixed intake of 266 pupils against a capacity of 420, meaning there is room for growth. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, though inspectors noted that behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were all Good. Leadership and management, along with quality of education, were judged to require improvement. The school has a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 59.1 percent, well above the national average.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range2 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressColeridge Gardens, Darlington, Darlington, DL1 5AJ
HeadteacherClair Gooding
Local AuthorityDarlington
Number of Pupils266
Free School Meals (FSM)59.1%
School Capacity266 / 420 (63% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

18 Jun 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement
Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 11 Jul 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

5
ICT SuiteSports HallMusic RoomsForest SchoolChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

10

Sports

FootballGymnasticsDanceCricket

Clubs & Activities

Eco ClubChessChoirDramaFilm ClubCoding

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

SEND Support

Mental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning Difficulty

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Breakfast club

08:00-08:25

Source: skernepark.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Skerne Park Academy

Skerne Park Academy has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.