The Rydal Academy
Academy sponsor led in Darlington, Darlington.
School details
| Phase | Primary |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy sponsor led |
| Age range | 2 to 11 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective |
| Sixth form | Does not have a sixth form |
| Pupils on roll | 584 (school census 15-01-2026) |
| Capacity | 630 |
| Free school meals | 51.60% |
| Trust or sponsor | NORTHERN ARCH LEARNING PARTNERSHIP |
| Local authority | Darlington |
| Address | Rydal Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 4BH |
| Map | View on Google Maps |
| Website | https://rydal.nalp.org.uk/ |
| Telephone | 01325380784 |
| URN | 138989 |
Ofsted inspection
Latest graded inspection under the previous framework (Education Inspection Framework), started 6 December 2022, published 31 January 2023:
| Overall effectiveness | Good |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years provision | Good |
| Safeguarding effective | Yes |
Latest ungraded inspection: 5 December 2019, outcome: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next.
Read the Ofsted reports for this school
Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall effectiveness grades in September 2024 and introduced report cards from November 2025. Older grades are shown with their dates and may not reflect the school today.
Nearby schools
- St John's Church of England Academy (primary school, about 0.5 km)
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (primary school, about 0.9 km)
- Skerne Park Academy (primary school, about 1.0 km)
- Firthmoor Primary School (primary school, about 1.1 km)
- Heathfield Primary School (primary school, about 1.2 km)
- Polam Hall School (all-through school, about 1.4 km)
- St Augustine's Catholic Primary School (primary school, about 1.5 km)
- Corporation Road Community Primary School (primary school, about 1.9 km)
Browse: Primary schools in Darlington
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. School data: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (downloaded 11 October 2026). Inspection data: Ofsted, state-funded schools inspections and outcomes management information (as at 31 August 2026). Last updated 2026-10-11.