Hurworth School
Darlington, DL2 2JG · Darlington · secondary school
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2nd of 8 secondary schools in Darlington we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 4.0/10 against 878 of them, against 4.0/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 36.1 · 28 | 30% | 0.83 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.12 · 58 | 25% | 1.46 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 42.4 · 31 | 10% | 0.31 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Hurworth School overview
How it's doing
Ofsted rated the school Good in November 2022. In 2024/25, 52.4% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 49.1, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.12 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (7.6 out of 10 against similar schools, 6.5 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can participate in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Getting in
The published school roll is 621 pupils against a stated capacity of 635. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to maintain the progress seen in the 2023/24 data? What specific support is available for students aiming to improve their Attainment 8 scores?
What Ofsted said about Hurworth School
Overview
Hurworth School is described as a ‘tight-knit community’ where pupils feel ‘safe and happy’ and staff know them well. Leaders are ‘passionate about providing an education that prepares all pupils well for life’, with an ‘ambitious’ curriculum that ensures all pupils learn the same important content. The report highlights strong relationships, effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and a clear focus on respect and personal development.
Strengths
- Staff and pupils share ‘strong relationships’, creating a supportive environment where bullying is dealt with ‘quickly’ and is not seen as a major problem.
- The curriculum is ‘ambitious’ and ‘organised logically’, using ‘unlock’ and ‘lock’ tasks to help pupils secure and build upon key knowledge.
- Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are ‘integrated well into mainstream lessons’ and receive ‘tailored additional support’ to succeed.
- Leaders provide ‘impartial and personalised’ careers advice, ensuring all pupils have a ‘secure destination’ when they leave school.
- Safeguarding arrangements are ‘effective’, with staff who are ‘vigilant’ and report worries ‘swiftly’.
Areas to improve
- Leaders should ensure plans to develop the reading provision are ‘securely embedded’, as support for struggling readers is currently ‘in its early stages’.
- Leaders must embed high expectations of the new behaviour policy so that pupils are ‘more consistently actively engaged in their learning’, addressing inconsistent staff expectations.
- Leaders should establish ‘robust procedures’ to check the impact of new initiatives, as they have not yet fully evaluated recent changes.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are ‘effective’, with staff clearly understanding risks, reporting concerns swiftly, and working with external agencies to support vulnerable pupils.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 53.8 |
| 2024/25 | 49.1 |
| 2025/26 | 42.4 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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