The Rydal AcademySkerne Park Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Darlington.
Summary of the comparison
The Rydal Academy and Skerne Park Academy are primary schools in Darlington.
The Rydal Academy scores 47 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Skerne Park Academy scores 24 out of 100 (grade F, weak). The Rydal Academy is ahead on our composite score.
The Rydal Academy was judged Good and Skerne Park Academy was judged Requires improvement.
On the share of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, the latest published figures are 46.0% for The Rydal Academy and 35.0% for Skerne Park Academy.
The share of pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 has risen at The Rydal Academy (38.0% in 2022-23, 46.0% in 2024-25) and has fallen at Skerne Park Academy (44.0% in 2022-23, 35.0% in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | DarlingtonThe Rydal Academy | DarlingtonSkerne Park Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D47/100Stronger figure | F24/100 | |
| Local ranking | 20th of 29 in Darlington Stronger figure | 29th of 29 in Darlington | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: GoodStronger figure | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Primary | Primary | |
| Age range | 2-11 | 2-11 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 621 | 266 | |
| Capacity | 630 | 420 | |
| Location | Darlington, DL1 4BH | Darlington, DL1 5AJ | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | 46.0% Stronger figure | 35.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | 4.0% | 5.0% Stronger figure | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | 103.0 Stronger figure | 98.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | 101.0 Stronger figure | 99.0 | 105.0 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 621 | 266 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 52.3% | 60.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 11.8% | 13.2% | |
| SEN support | 19.5% | 26.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.2% | 3.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.7% Stronger figure | 8.5% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 25.5% Stronger figure | 27.1% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
KS2: expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
The Rydal Academy
Skerne Park Academy
Full profiles: The Rydal Academy · Skerne Park Academy