St. George's Church of England Academy

About St. George's Church of England Academy

St. George's Church of England Academy is a state primary school in Darlington, a local authority where only one school currently holds an Outstanding Ofsted rating. St. George's itself is rated Good, and it ranks 10th out of 26 primary schools in the area on the key stage 2 expected standard measure. The three highest-performing peers in the LA are St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, West Park Academy, and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, all of which sit above it in the rankings. With a capacity of 420 and 400 pupils on roll, the school is nearly full, and it was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 57 applications for 46 places. It serves a mixed-gender, Church of England community from age 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. Around 18% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools.

Academically, St. George's performs well above the Darlington LA average. In the 2023/24 key stage 2 assessments, 68% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with a local average of 59%. The school's average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 11% of pupils achieved the top level across all three subjects, with 38% hitting the higher standard in reading and 30% in maths. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023, the school was rated Good across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2009, when it was rated Outstanding overall, though the current judgement reflects a solid and consistent performance.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, chapel, library, and playing fields. Sports provision covers netball, athletics, football, rounders, gymnastics, tennis, and cricket, while clubs include science, chess, book club, choir, drama, and film club. St. George's has a strong SEND framework, with provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a practical choice for families who want a Church of England primary with a clear academic track record and a wide range of support, particularly those living within commuting distance of Darlington. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is St John's Church of England Academy, about 4.1 km away, which may be an alternative for families prioritising that top grade.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St. George's Church of England Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents