Local area: Middleton & Hurworth
Local authority: Darlington
Middleton & Hurworth in Darlington Early years summary
Summary
Middleton & Hurworth (E02002573) is part of Darlington local authority (view on map). Middleton & Hurworth has an approximate population of 9,600 people, of which 5.3% are children 5 years old and under. It is classified as "larger rural: nearer to a major town or city".
Middleton & Hurworth neighbours Billingham West, Stillington & Longnewton, Faverdale, Heighington & Sadberge, Hummersknott, Firthmoor, Park East, Brompton, Appleton & Thimbleby, and North Richmondshire.
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Middleton & Hurworth is the 3rd least deprived area in Darlington (out of 14) with 18% of children living in low-income families, compared to 38% across Darlington and 38% nationally.
Provider information
Registered childcare providers
Middleton & Hurworth has 7 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Middleton & Hurworth |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 7 |
| Childminders | 4 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 3 |
In Middleton & Hurworth, there has been 1 full inspection of childcare providers since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Achievement: There have been no inspections of Achievement in Middleton & Hurworth so no outcomes are available for this area.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: There have been no inspections of Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines in Middleton & Hurworth so no outcomes are available for this area.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: There have been no inspections of Children's welfare and wellbeing in Middleton & Hurworth so no outcomes are available for this area.
Curriculum and teaching: There have been no inspections of Curriculum and teaching in Middleton & Hurworth so no outcomes are available for this area.
Inclusion: There have been no inspections of Inclusion in Middleton & Hurworth so no outcomes are available for this area.
Leadership and governance: 1 was graded 'expected standard' (of 1).
The tables below show the outcomes of inspections of childcare providers in Middleton & Hurworth. The tables are split by provider type, and show the number of inspections that have taken place for each area, and the outcomes of those inspections.
Contents
All childcare
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Childminders
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Summary of Ofsted findings
Summary of Ofsted findings
Inspection of Darlington’s local authority children’s services
These inspections focus on the effectiveness of local authority services and arrangements:
- to help and protect children, and enable families to stay together and get the help they need
- the experiences and progress of children in care wherever they live, including those children who return home
- the arrangements for permanence for children who are looked after, in stable, loving homes, including adoption
- the experiences and progress of care leavers.
| Inspection type | Inspection start date | Overall effectiveness | Impact of leaders | Help and protection | Children in care | Care leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILACS Short Inspection | 9 February 2026 | Outstanding | Outstanding | Good | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| ILACS Standard Inspection | 10 October 2022 | Good | Good | Good | Outstanding | No outcome |
Area SEND inspection of Darlington Local Area Partnership
The purpose of an area SEND inspection is to:
- provide an independent, external evaluation of the effectiveness of the local area partnership’s arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
- where appropriate, recommend what the local area partnership should do to improve the arrangements.
| Inspection outcome |
|---|
|
Darlington was last inspected on 25 November 2024. The local area partnership's arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements. They were given no areas for priority action. The next full area SEND inspection will be within approximately 3 years. Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) ask that the local area partnership updates and publishes its strategic plan based on the recommendations set out in this report. |
Joint targeted area inspection of Darlington local authority
The agencies for these inspections can include the police, children’s social care, probation services, education and relevant health services. Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and childcare providers. The focus of these inspections is how effectively the local safeguarding partners work together at the practice and strategic levels.
| Theme | Inspection start date | Link |
|---|---|---|
| There have been no JTAI inspections for this local authority. | ||
Early years population
Contents
Percentage of Middleton & Hurworth population by age group
Table showing percentage of Middleton & Hurworth population by age group
| % in Middleton & Hurworth | % in Darlington | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 5 and under | 5.3% | 6.0% | 6.4% |
| Under 1 year | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| 1 year | 0.7% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| 2 years | 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| 3 years | 0.9% | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| 4 years | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| 5 years | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
Local authority context
Early years pupil premium
In Darlington, 6.5% of children are receiving the early years pupil premium, compared to 5.1% nationally.
Children looked after
The percentage of 'children looked after' in Darlington is 0.9% for under 1 year olds and 0.6% for 1 to 4 year olds. The national average is 0.6% for under 1 year olds and 0.4% for 1 to 4 year olds.
Contents
Table showing percentage of children looked after in Darlington
| Number in Darlington | % in Darlington | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children looked after (under 1 year) | 9 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Children looked after (aged 1 to 4 years) | 26 | 0.6% | 0.4% |
Percentage of children looked after in Darlington
Special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded schools
This data is taken from the school census data for children aged 5 and under with special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded settings.
In Darlington, 5.0% of children aged 5 and under receive SEN support in state-funded settings and 1.7% have an EHC plan, compared to 4.5% and 1.4% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
Table showing percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
| Number in Darlington | % in Darlington | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 337 | 5.0% | 4.5% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 27 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (3 years) | 55 | 4.9% | 3.7% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (4 years) | 101 | 8.5% | 9.2% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (5 years) | 154 | 13% | 12% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 118 | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (3 years) | 8 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (4 years) | 42 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (5 years) | 67 | 5.6% | 4.8% |
Education, health and care plans
This data is taken from the local authority level data for children aged 5 and under issued with an education, health and care (EHC) plan in Darlington.
In Darlington, 1.7% of children aged 5 and under have an EHC plan, compared to 1.6% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of children with an EHCP in Darlington by age group
Table showing percentage of children with an EHCP in Darlington by age group
| Number in Darlington | % in Darlington | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: Children with an EHCP (age 5 and under) | 114 | 1.7% | 1.6% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (under 2 years) | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (3 years) | 8 | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (4 years) | 40 | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (5 years) | 65 | 5.4% | 5.0% |
Early years funded takeup
In Darlington, take-up of funded early years places is 77% for 2-year-olds, 90% for 3-year-olds, and 94% for 4-year-olds, compared to 72%, 88%, and 93% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
Table showing percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
| Funded early years places for 2-year-olds | Number of eligible 2-year-olds | % of population aged 2 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | 299 | 26% | 77% |
| National | 119,598 | 19% | 72% |
| Funded early years places for 3-year-olds | Number of eligible 3-year-olds | % of population aged 3 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | All 3-year olds are eligible | 90% | |
| National | 88% | ||
| Funded early years places for 4-year-olds | Number of eligible 4-year-olds | % of population aged 4 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | All 4-year olds are eligible | 94% | |
| National | 93% | ||
The 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old funded places tables look different because they measure different things; funded places for 2-year-olds are only for children considered to be disadvantaged, while for 3- and 4-year-olds everyone is entitled to a funded place.
Children's overweight and obesity
In Darlington, 26% of reception-age children are overweight or obese, compared to 24% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
Table showing percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
| Number in Darlington | % in Darlington | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's overweight and obesity (reception-age children) | 280 | 26% | 24% |
Oral health
In Darlington, 25% of children aged 5 have visible tooth decay (oral health issues) compared to 22% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
Table showing percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
| Number examined in Darlington | % examined in Darlington | % in Darlington | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral health (visible tooth decay in 5-year-olds) | 534 | 47% | 25% | 22% |