Abbey Infants' School
Cleveland Terrace, Darlington, DL3 8JAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Abbey Infants' School is a primary school in Darlington for ages 4 to 7. It is one of the 47 schools in Darlington. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 16 November 2022, report published 18 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
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 16 November 2022
Abbey Infants is a welcoming and happy school. Staff and pupils are inspired by the school motto to 'Aim high, Work hard, Achieve together.' These values run through every aspect of the life of the school. Pupils feel safe because they know that adults listen to them and care about them. They learn to express their thoughts and feelings in personal, social, health and economic lessons. Pupils can also access Lego and sand therapy sessions delivered by trained members of staff. Around the school and at breaktimes, pupils are kind and considerate. They respond to the high expectations expressed by staff. Bullying is rare and pupils are confident any concerns would be sorted out quickly. Pupils benefit from the close ties with Abbey Junior School. Older pupils act as role models, supporting younger pupils in their play at lunchtime. Year 2 pupils access the junior building and know what to expect in Year 3. This helps to ensure a smooth transition. The school offers a variety of clubs such as multi-skills, French, football and dance. These are very popular and enable pupils to develop their talents and interests.
What the school should improve
- The previous RE curriculum based on the locally agreed syllabus lacked sufficient detail and ambition. As a result, pupils have a limited understanding of faith and the religions they have studied. Leaders should fully implement the new RE curriculum and ensure that this is embedded in the school. Staff require further training to enable this. Leaders should also identify any gaps in pupils' learning from previous years and include opportunities to catch up in the new curriculum.
- In the majority of subjects, leaders have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn and when. In some subjects, such as history, teachers do not know precisely what should be taught. Leaders should ensure that teachers know the exact content leaders want pupils to learn.
Pupil numbers and mix
264 pupils on roll, with places for 270
Schools near Abbey Infants' School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Junior School | 0.2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 77% met the expected standard |
| St Augustine's Catholic Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 71% met the expected standard |
| Mowden Infant School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Mowden Junior School | 0.8 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | 77% met the expected standard |
| Reid Street Primary School | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Good | 57% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- MELROSE LEARNING TRUST
- Age range
- 4 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Michael Piper-Nelson
- Phone
- 01325380748
- Address
- Cleveland Terrace, Darlington, DL3 8JA
- Local authority
- Darlington
- URN
- 136988
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.