Rise Carr College, Darlington: SEND school, ages 11

Rise Carr College is a pupil referral unit in Darlington for children and young people aged 11 to 16.

Ages 11–16
67 pupils

School details

Type: Pupil referral unit
Ages: 11 to 16
Boys and girls: Boys and girls
Pupils: 67
Headteacher: Mrs Sally Hudson (Headteacher)
Opened: 11 September 2003
Free school meals: 62.7% of pupils eligible
Council: Darlington
School reference (URN): 131629

How to get a place

3 steps

Talk to your child’s school or the council
Places in alternative provision are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Darlington council, rather than applied for directly.
If your child has an EHC plan
The placement should be agreed through the plan, with you involved in the decision.
Get free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can explain your options and come to meetings with you.

Darlington SENDIASS Darlington Local Offer How EHC plans work

Questions to ask when you visit

8 questions to tick off as you go

How many children are in each class, and how many adults?
Which therapies happen in school (speech and language, occupational therapy, physiotherapy), and how often?
What training do staff have in my child’s needs?
How do you help children who are anxious, overwhelmed or in distress?
How will you keep in touch with me day to day?
How does home-to-school transport work?
What happens at the big changes: starting, moving up, and leaving at 16 or 19?
Can my child visit first, or have a settling-in period?

Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.

Ofsted

Graded by area, March 2025; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (November 2023)

Inspected in March 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementGood
SafeguardingEffective

Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, November 2023).

Read the Ofsted report

Contact and getting there

Eldon Street, Darlington, DL3 0NS

01325 348600 School website

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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive

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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.

Other SEND schools nearby

Beaumont Hill Academy Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
Mount Pleasant Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 miles
Marchbank Free School Special school · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.6 miles

All SEND schools in Darlington

By need in Darlington: Autism (4) · SEMH (2) · Speech and language (2)

Questions about Rise Carr College

How do I get a place at Rise Carr College?

Places at Rise Carr College are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Darlington council rather than applied for directly. If your child has an EHC plan, the placement should be agreed through it.

What ages does Rise Carr College take?

Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.

What is Rise Carr College’s Ofsted rating?

Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.

Where is Rise Carr College?

Eldon Street, Darlington, DL3 0NS, in Darlington.

School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.

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