Abbey Infants' School
Cleveland Terrace, Darlington, DL3 8JA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- MELROSE LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Michael Piper-Nelson
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Durham
- Constituency
- Darlington
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 270
- Pupils on roll
- 264
- URN
- 136988
- Local authority
- Darlington
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01325380748
About this school
Abbey Infants' School is a primary academy in Darlington. It teaches children aged 4 to 7 and has 264 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Abbey Infants' 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
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Abbey Infants' 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 | 4.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 265 |
| 2023/24 | 270 |
| 2024/25 | 265 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Abbey Infants' School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 87% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 3.9% | 3.4% | 264 | — |
| Abbey Junior School | 77% | 3.8% | 8.2% | 362 | 0.2 miles |
| St Augustine's Catholic Primary School | 71% | 2.8% | 7.1% | 224 | 0.5 miles |
| Mowden Infant School | — | 3.2% | 8% | 169 | 0.7 miles |
| Mowden Junior School | 77% | 3.4% | 14.5% | 295 | 0.8 miles |
| Reid Street Primary School | 57% | 5% | 30.3% | 364 | 0.9 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 3.4%
- English as an additional language
- 7.9%
- Overall absence
- 3.86%
- Persistent absence
- 6.67%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Abbey Junior School0.2 miles
Primary · Darlington
-
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Darlington
-
Mowden Infant School0.7 miles
Primary · Darlington
-
Mowden Junior School0.8 miles
Primary · Darlington
-
Reid Street Primary School0.9 miles
Primary · Darlington
Other schools in Darlington
- Abbey Junior School Primary
- Corporation Road Community Primary School Primary
- Croft Church of England Primary School Primary
- Firthmoor Primary School Primary
- Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool Primary
- Gurney Pease Academy Primary
- Harrowgate Hill Primary School Primary
- Heathfield Primary School Primary
- High Coniscliffe CofE Primary School Primary
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School Primary
- Hurworth Primary School Primary
- Ingleton CofE Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Abbey Infants' School teach?
- Abbey Infants' School teaches children aged 4 to 7. It is a primary school in Darlington.
- Who is the headteacher of Abbey Infants' School?
- The headteacher of Abbey Infants' School is Mr Michael Piper-Nelson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Abbey Infants' School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Abbey Infants' 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 Abbey Infants' School?
- Abbey Infants' School has 264 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 7.
- Is Abbey Infants' School full?
- Abbey Infants' School has capacity for 270 pupils and 264 on roll (98%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Abbey Infants' School a faith school?
- No. Abbey Infants' School has no designated religious character.
- Does Abbey Infants' School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Abbey Infants' School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Abbey Infants' School part of an academy trust?
- Abbey Infants' School is part of MELROSE LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Abbey Infants' School's absence rate?
- Abbey Infants' School's overall absence rate is 3.9% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Abbey Infants' School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Abbey Infants' School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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 1 July 2026.