Ofsted: Outstanding trending_up Popular emoji_events #1 in Darlington public Top 9% UK

Carmel College

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMs Mel Kane

corporate_fareBISHOP HOGARTH CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST

location_onDarlington, DL3 8RW

language Visit Website phone 1325254525

verified

Ofsted

Outstanding

Inspected 2024

groups

Students

1,359

trending_up

Attainment 8

53.5

leaderboard

GCSE Rank

#1 in Darlington

#585 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Carmel College is a Academy converter secondary school in Darlington, serving ages 11-18. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted — the highest possible grade. Demand is above capacity (1.2×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

Carmel College is an academy converter in Darlington, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of BISHOP HOGARTH CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST. The school has approximately 1,365 pupils on roll, of whom 19% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 53.5, placing the school #1 in Darlington and #585 of 3,216 nationally. 60.10% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 25.3% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 24 A-level subjects. 49.2% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 21.6% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.14 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2024. The school's current overall rating is Outstanding. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Outstanding, behaviour and attitudes Outstanding, personal development Outstanding, and leadership and management Outstanding.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.2× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 15.5:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there was 1 permanent exclusion. The average suspension rate was 0.6 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

53.5

Grade 5+ E&M

60.10%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)25.3%

Entering EBacc73.60%

EBacc APS4.78

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.38

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

53.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc74.80%

EBacc APS4.89

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.34

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

53.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc63%

EBacc APS4.75

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.2

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

55.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc71%

EBacc APS5.06

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc79%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.38

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc55%

EBacc APS4.95

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.37

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

56.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc75%

EBacc APS5.12

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships5%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

98%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)96%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

98%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)95%

ApprenticeshipsSP%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

99%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)94%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)1%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.14

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*4.4%

Achieving A*–A21.6%

Achieving A*–B49.2%

VA Banding Below average

Retention rate100.0%

A-level subjects offered24

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.06

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make broadly expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

B-

Students

101

Retention rate98.00%

2023

Avg Grade

B-

Students

102

Retention rate100.00%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

129

Retention rate98.4%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

01 October 2024

Inspection Report

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19 November 2013

Inspection Report

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14 February 2012

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2024-10-01

S5 Inspection EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Outstanding

Behaviour

Outstanding

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Outstanding

2013-11-19

S5 Inspection EIF

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

2009-02-25

None EIF

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

0.9%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.8%(11 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,365 pupils. During this period, there were 12 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 0.9%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,365	12	0.9%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,372	5	0.4%	7.8%	1
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,350	8	0.6%	7.4%	2
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,344	12	0.9%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,344	5	0.4%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,350	7	0.5%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,359	19	1.4%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,365	8	0.6%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,366	8	0.6%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,363	8	0.6%	4.9%	1
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,364	1	0.1%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,367	0	0.0%	3.6%	1
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,378	8	0.6%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,384	3	0.2%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,311	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,311	17	1.3%	3.2%	2
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,310	8	0.6%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,259	4	0.3%	3.1%	1
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,259	16	1.3%	3.8%	1
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,264	9	0.7%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,251	6	0.5%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,258	8	0.6%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,262	5	0.4%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,247	6	0.5%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,252	6	0.5%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,253	6	0.5%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 44 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 39 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 38 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 30 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 25 pupils

Hearing Impairment 4 pupils

Physical Disability 4 pupils

Visual Impairment 3 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

91.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

90.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

24.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree55%

agree36%

disagree7%

strongly disagree1%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree47%

agree29%

disagree15%

strongly disagree2%

don't know7%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree41%

agree21%

disagree12%

strongly disagree3%

don't know1%

not applicable23%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes27%

no73%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree42%

agree31%

disagree14%

strongly disagree11%

dont know3%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree73%

agree19%

disagree4%

strongly disagree1%

don't know3%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree56%

agree33%

disagree7%

strongly disagree2%

don't know1%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree47%

agree37%

disagree9%

strongly disagree4%

don't know2%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree64%

agree34%

disagree2%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree70%

agree27%

disagree3%

strongly disagree1%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree56%

agree28%

disagree12%

strongly disagree2%

don't know2%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes90%

no10%

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Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Faith Priority (Roman Catholic)

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Darlington

Hummersknott Academy

Hurworth School

Polam Hall School

Longfield Academy

St Aidan's Church of England Academy

Haughton Academy