SchoolFacts

Marchbank Free School

Special / other · Darlington · DL3 9BL

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Good

Graded inspection under the pre-November 2025 system

This is an overall-effectiveness grade from the previous inspection framework. The school has not yet had a report-card inspection.

Quality of education: GoodBehaviour & attitudes: OutstandingPersonal development: OutstandingLeadership & management: GoodSafeguarding effective: Yes

Inspected 23 January 2024

Read the Ofsted report ↗

At a glance

63 pupils · 97% of 65 capacity

School type
Free schools special
Age range
5–11
Gender
Mixed
Free school meals
66.7% of pupils
English as additional language
3.6% of pupils
SEN support
0% of pupils
EHC plan
100% of pupils
Website
www.educationvillage.org.uk
URN
139691

Key stage 2 results (2024/2025)

10 pupils at the end of key stage 2 in 2024/2025

Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths
0%
England 62%
Reaching the higher standard
0%
England 8%
Average scaled score (reading)
99
England 106
Average scaled score (maths)
94
England 105

Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025. “Suppressed” means the DfE withholds figures for very small cohorts.

Attendance (2025/26 autumn term)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
12.3%
England 6.5%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
20.9%
England 18.1%

Autumn-term absence, DfE pupil absence data. Lower is better.

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
7.9
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Teacher retention (2024/25)

51% of teachers stayed at the school the following year · 24% moved to another state school · 25% left the state-funded sector

School Workforce Census, DfE. The ratio counts full-time-equivalent qualified teachers; retention follows teachers in post one November to the next. Open Government Licence v3.0.

Spending per pupil

This school£29,673
Typical special / other school£29,008

Total expenditure ÷ pupils, academy finance return (DfE Schools Financial Benchmarking, latest year). Higher spending is not a measure of quality. It often reflects greater pupil need or a smaller school. Open Government Licence v3.0.

Inspection history since 2015

Ofsted management information. Ungraded and monitoring visits do not award a new grade. How the two inspection systems work.

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