Springfield Academy

School overview

Springfield Academy is a primary school serving Darlington, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. It has 237 pupils aged 3 to 11 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Springfield Academy 'Good'. In the most recent Key Stage 2 SATs, 79% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well above the national average of 61%. That marks an improvement of 22.0 percentage points in the proportion reaching the expected standard on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it around the middle of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 105 in reading and 103 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). Competition for places is real here - 78% of first-choice applicants were offered a Reception place for September 2026 (40 first choices for 31 places). The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 1.19 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. Overall pupil absence was 6.5%. There are about 19.9 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 42% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.