It was reported that the school would "play a vital part in the development of horticulture and market gardening pursuits, for many of the pupils come from the strawberry-growing district of Holt".

In 1966, the school was visited by the Christian missionary Gladys Aylward, whose life was the subject of the 1958 film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

In September 1995, the then Welsh Secretary William Hague visited Darland School to launch the Conservative Government's 'Young People and Sport in Wales' campaign.

In 2001, the school won recognition in The Guinness Book of Records for the World's Biggest Hug, in an event that brought together a huge cross-section of the local population.

In September 2004, Darland welcomed the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly, Rhodri Morgan, who unveiled a plaque in memory of the miners who lost their lives in the 1934 Gresford disaster.

Pupils hosted a VE Day style party for veterans of the war and recorded interviews on the BBC's Wartime Memories website.

In February 2009, Darland received a visit from Jane Hutt, the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.

He shared his knowledge with some of Darland cricket players, and gave a speech about the demise of democracy in Zimbabwe and the importance of grasping every opportunity and making the most of education.