Polam Hall School
About the school
Polam Hall School is an open all-through school in Darlington.
Latest Ofsted inspection
Published Ofsted information, current as at 31 July 2026. Inspection outcomes are not performance rankings.
- Latest inspection
- 25 November 2025
- Published
- 18 January 2026
- Inspection type
- S5 Inspection
Published inspection outcomes
Safeguarding
Met
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Early years
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Previous inspection framework
These judgements are retained by Ofsted from an earlier inspection framework.
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Yes
Early years
Good
Sixth form
Not applicable
Results and school context
GCSE and key stage 4
Attainment 8
- School
- 44.6
- Darlington
- 44.3
- England
- 46.1
Progress 8
The DfE has not published this measure for 2024/25.
- School
- N/A
- Darlington
- N/A
- England
- N/A
English and maths grade 5+
- School
- 37.80%
- Darlington
- 45.70%
- England
- 45.40%
English and maths grade 4+
- School
- 63.30%
- Darlington
- 64.80%
- England
- 64.80%
EBacc entry
- School
- 33.30%
- Darlington
- 36.00%
- England
- 40.50%
EBacc average point score
- School
- 4.03
- Darlington
- 3.83
- England
- 4.09
Key Stage 2 results
Combined attainment
Reading, writing and maths expected standard
- School
- 59%
- Darlington
- 62%
- England
- 62%
Reading, writing and maths higher standard
- School
- 6%
- Darlington
- 7%
- England
- 8%
Subject attainment
Reading expected standard
- School
- 69%
- Darlington
- 72%
- England
- 75%
Writing expected standard
- School
- 71%
- Darlington
- 73%
- England
- 72%
Maths expected standard
- School
- 80%
- Darlington
- 74%
- England
- 74%
Grammar, punctuation and spelling expected
- School
- 69%
- Darlington
- 72%
- England
- 73%
Grammar, punctuation and spelling higher
- School
- 22%
- Darlington
- 29%
- England
- 30%
Science expected standard
- School
- 76%
- Darlington
- 80%
- England
- 82%
Scaled scores
Reading average scaled score
- School
- 104
- Darlington
- 105
- England
- 106
Maths average scaled score
- School
- 105
- Darlington
- 104
- England
- 105
Grammar average scaled score
- School
- 104
- Darlington
- 105
- England
- 105
Pupil context and attendance
DfE context data for 2024/25. These characteristics provide context and are not quality ratings.
Pupils on roll
841
Girls
52.44%
Boys
47.56%
SEN support
11.06%
Education, health and care plan
2.85%
English as an additional language
14.30%
Eligible for free school meals in the past six years
29.61%
Overall absence
7.96
Persistent absence
23.28
Pupil destinations
DfE destination measures from the 2024/25 release. These outcomes are published after a time lag.
After Key Stage 4
Cohort
67
Sustained education or employment
94%
Education
85%
Apprenticeship
4%
Employment
4%
Not sustained
3%