# Marchbank Free School

Marchbank Free School is a special school in Darlington, for pupils aged 5 to 11.

It had 63 pupils at the school census in January 2026.

Special school. Code E139691. [Darlington](https://openindex.co.uk/darlington)

- Phase: Special
- Type: Free schools special
- Ages: 5 to 11
- Pupils: 63
- Council: Darlington
- URN: 139691

## Latest Ofsted outcome

Good (overall), January 2024
- Inspection: Graded inspection, 23 January 2024
- Overall effectiveness: Good
- Quality of education: Good
- Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding
- Personal development: Outstanding
- Leadership and management: Good
Edition: Latest inspections as at 30 September 2026
Outcomes as Ofsted published them. Report cards (from November 2025) give no overall grade, and grades under different frameworks cannot be compared.

## Results

Source: Department for Education school performance tables (Open Government Licence).

In 2024/25, 0% of pupils at Marchbank Free School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% in Darlington and 62% in England.
0% reached the higher standard (8% in England).

### End of primary school (KS2): 2024/25

| Measure | This school | Darlington | England |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 62% | 62% |
| Reached the higher standard | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 99 | 105 | 106 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 94 | 104 | 105 |

Marchbank Free School teaches pupils with needs that most schools' pupils do not have, often in very small year groups, so its results are not a fair comparison with mainstream schools. They are not shown on the map.
Progress scores from KS1 to KS2 were not published for 2024/25, because the KS1 tests that give the starting point were cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
Results reflect the pupils a school admits as well as its teaching, and a year's results can move a lot in a small school.

## Schools nearby

Distances are in a straight line. Admissions and catchments are set by councils and schools.

- [Mowden Junior School](https://openindex.co.uk/school/mowden-junior-school-e138176): 220 m. Primary. Report card, June 2026: safeguarding met. 77% met the expected standard at KS2 (2024/25)
- [Mowden Infant School](https://openindex.co.uk/school/mowden-infant-school-e138175): 350 m. Primary. School remains Good, January 2023
- [St Mary's Cockerton Church of England Primary School](https://openindex.co.uk/school/st-marys-cockerton-church-of-england-primary-school-e142962): 610 m. Primary. Good (overall), February 2023. 37% met the expected standard at KS2 (2024/25)
- [Wyvern Academy](https://openindex.co.uk/school/wyvern-academy-e143845): 720 m. Secondary. Good (overall), June 2023. Attainment 8 of 41.3 (2025/26, provisional)
- [Holy Family Catholic Primary School](https://openindex.co.uk/school/holy-family-catholic-primary-school-e139533): 850 m. Primary. School remains Good, October 2023. 77% met the expected standard at KS2 (2024/25)
- [Carmel College](https://openindex.co.uk/school/carmel-college-e137622): 880 m. Secondary. Graded inspection, October 2024: no overall grade. Attainment 8 of 52.7 (2025/26, provisional)

## Sources and further information

- [Schools: methods, licences and inspection sources](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/schools)
- [Get Information about Schools](https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/139691)
- [Ofsted reports](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/139691)

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/school/marchbank-free-school-e139691, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/school/marchbank-free-school-e139691#sc-results.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/school/marchbank-free-school-e139691