The Dales School
Morton-on-Swale, Northallerton, DL7 9QW
- Phase
- Special schools
- School type
- Community special school
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Ann-Marie Ellis
- SEN provision
- ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, PD - Physical Disability, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
- Constituency
- Richmond and Northallerton
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Pupils on roll
- 71
- URN
- 121771
- Local authority
- North Yorkshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01609772932
About this school
The Dales School is a community special school in Northallerton. It teaches children aged 2 to 19 and has 71 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Dales School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 12 March 2025, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | - |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | - |
| Expected standard in reading | - | - | - |
| Expected standard in maths | - | - | - |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | - | - |
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Attainment 8 score | - | - | - |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | - | - | - |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | - | - | - |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | - | - | - |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | - | - | - |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How The Dales School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 15% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 15.5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 15% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 73 |
| 2023/24 | 74 |
| 2024/25 | 74 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 27.27%
- English as an additional language
- 8.1%
- Overall absence
- 14.97%
- Persistent absence
- 51.92%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Hambleton/Richmondshire Pupil Referral Service2.9 miles
Local authority maintained schools · Northallerton
-
Mowbray Academy5.0 miles
Academies · Bedale
-
Breckenbrough School6.6 miles
Special schools · Thirsk
-
Aysgarth School7.7 miles
Independent schools · Bedale
-
Darwin School9.7 miles
Independent schools · Thirsk
Other schools in Northallerton
- Hambleton/Richmondshire Pupil Referral Service Local authority maintained schools
- Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School Primary
- Alverton Primary School Primary
- Applegarth Primary School Primary
- Appleton Wiske Community Primary School Primary
- Brompton Community Primary School Primary
- Broomfield School Primary
- East Cowton Church of England Primary School Primary
- Great Smeaton Academy Primary School Primary
- Leeming RAF Community Primary School Primary
- Leeming St. John's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Mill Hill Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Dales School teach?
- The Dales School teaches children aged 2 to 19. It is a special school in Northallerton.
- Who is the headteacher of The Dales School?
- The headteacher of The Dales School is Mrs Ann-Marie Ellis, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Dales School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Dales School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The Dales School?
- The Dales School has 71 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 19.
- Is The Dales School a faith school?
- No. The Dales School has no designated religious character.
- What SEN provision does The Dales School have?
- The schools register lists The Dales School's special educational needs provision as: ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder; MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment; PD - Physical Disability; SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty; PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- What is The Dales School's absence rate?
- The Dales School's overall absence rate is 15% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The Dales School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The Dales School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.