Welcome to Carmel College

Welcome to Carmel CollegeWhen you join Carmel College you are not only joining an outstanding college that is a centre of educational excellence, you are also joining a vibrant and caring community. We are a Catholic sixth form college for the whole community and, as such, excellence, support, challenge, care and opportunity are at the heart of everything we do.Janet Gater, Principal

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Boarding Type

No Boarder

School Type

Academies

Suitable Ages

11 to 18

Gender

Mixed

No. of Students

1,365 Total

No. of Boys

671 (49.2%)

No. of Girls

694 (50.8%)


Academic Excellence

GCSE Results

Latest Examination

26.2%

Students achieving A*/A grades (9/8/7)

A-Level Results

Sixth Form Performance

A* grades

11.68%

A*/A grades

27.54%


Leavers' Destinations

Destinations after GCSEs

Staying in education

91%

School

79%

England

Apprenticeships

3%

School

3%

England

Further education

School:14%
England:51%

School sixth form

School:61%
England:19%

Sixth form college

School:14%
England:7%

Other education destinations

School:2%
England:2%

Destinations after A-Levels

UK higher education

54%

School

1%

England

Apprenticeships

11%

School

19%

England

Higher education or training

School:91%
England:63%

Further education

School:4%
England:4%

Employment

School:23%
England:35%

Not sustained in education/employment

School:6%
England:26%



Admissions Process

Start Application
Oct 2025Nov 2025Dec 2025Jan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026

Applications Opens

Open Evening

Open Evening

Open Evening

Key Dates & Deadlines

Oct 1, 2025

Applications Opens

Oct 8, 2025

Open Evening

Nov 6, 2025

Open Evening

Jan 30, 2026

Applications Close

Mar 11, 2026

Open Evening


Term Dates & Half-Term Holidays

Planning ahead for school holidays? Below are the term dates and half-term dates for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Autumn

2 terms

Half Term 1

Sep 1 - Oct 24

Half Term 2

Nov 3 - Dec 19

Spring

2 terms

Half Term 1

Jan 5 - Feb 20

Half Term 2

Feb 23 - Apr 2

Summer

2 terms

Half Term 1

Apr 20 - May 22

Half Term 2

Jun 1 - Jul 17

Half-Term & Holiday Dates

Autumn Half Term

Oct 27 - Oct 31

Christmas

Dec 22 - Jan 2

February Half Term

Feb 23 - Feb 27

Easter/Spring

Apr 3 - Apr 17

May Half Term

May 25 - May 29


Alumni Stories

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Zac Lowe-McAlley

September 2018

Employed

I had a brilliant time at Carmel. My
classes were full of great people who
pushed me to reach my full potential.
"After Carmel, I studied at ALRA for three
years doing an acting course. My
experience at ALRA was great. We focused
on theatre acting for the majority of the
course, the first year being mostly
technique, be it physical or vocal, with a
few hours a week being spent in front, or
behind a camera, learning screen technique
and developing an understanding of a set. I
really took to the accent classes we had,
which led really nicely onto Audio classes,
where we learnt techniques for radio,
commercials, video games etc.
I’m now auditioning for jobs whilst living in
London. I’ve worked with the BBC audio
and recently finished voicing on an indie
video game.

Jakub Komar

September 2018

Employed

At Carmel the teaching was delivered
really well with the right balance of
opportunities to figure out my own style
of creativity.
“I graduated with a first in BA Hons Fashion
Promotion and Marketing with sandwich. During
my placement year I interned at a modelling
agency in Manchester called FAD. In my final
year I was nominated to go to Barcelona for a
design challenge, where I got to design and
create a garment in a group with other
international students. I also got shortlisted for
three awards at graduate fashion week in
London.
I have been recently nominated for a visionary
award for a project I did in my final year for a
live brief with size? Syllabus X Salomon. So
fingers crossed! I also secured a Digital Media
and Content Assistant internship at UCLan. I am
currently applying for social media/styling roles
before my contract at the university ends.

Olivia Strettle

September 2017

Employed

My time at Carmel was extremely
beneficial to my future. The skills I gained
from each subject have stuck with me
during my time at university and postgraduation. I made friends for life and was
continuously supported by the tutors.
"After Carmel I went on to study BA (Hons)
Photography at the University of
Huddersfield until 2022, and obtained a
first class degree. Immediately after
studying an undergraduate, I went on to
post-grad study and completed a masters
in photography at Huddersfield. Whilst
studying, I have been working two jobs
that are local to me in order to gain
experience.
Since graduating at the end of last year, I
am now looking for work that is focused
more around my degree and is greatly
refined towards my passion for creativity.


Enrichment Activities

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At Carmel we offer an extensive Enrichment Programme which will enable you to enhance and extend your own personal development. Engaging in an Enrichment Programme is a great way to meet likeminded people and to enrich and support your overall college experience.

Public Speaking
Basketball
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

About School

RegionNorth East
Local AuthorityDarlington
Ofsted RatingOutstanding
Gender TypeMixed