Butterknowle Primary School, Bishop Auckland
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This is a warm, welcoming school where children are genuinely happy and feel safe. Staff build strong relationships with pupils and families, and the mixed-age classes help older children develop responsibility by supporting younger ones. The school has recently brought in new leadership that is moving quickly to improve academic achievement, particularly in reading and maths.
Key Strengths
- Warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils with positive behaviour throughout the school
- Effective early years provision that prepares children well for key stage 1, with strong phonics teaching
- Well-developed safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and supported
- Inclusive approach with good systems to identify and support pupils with barriers to learning
- Strong sense of community and belonging with mixed-age classes helping older pupils support younger ones
Areas for Improvement
- Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has been significantly below national averages over time
- Achievement in subjects beyond the core academics is variable, with pupils not always having opportunities to apply knowledge in sufficient depth
- Teachers need to more consistently use assessment information to inform future learning
- Monitoring of club attendance to ensure disadvantaged pupils benefit from enrichment opportunities
- Further development of curriculum sequences to better match the needs of all pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture of safeguarding established where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, mindfulness club, residential visits, theatre performances, sporting events
Butterknowle Primary School is a small, friendly school where pupils feel safe, respected and valued. The school has recently joined a federation and implemented new leadership and systems to improve pupil achievement.
At a Glance
20.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 44% to 29%. Maths has improved from 22% to 43%. Writing has declined from 56% to 43%.
Class Sizes
12.5
Avg class size
10.0
Infant (KS1)
15.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
64%
Available places
54 pupils
84 capacity
30 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Bishop Auckland
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bishop Auckland
Admissions Demand - County Durham
Places available
6,592
Applications
4,491
Got 1st preference
96.4%
Got preferred school
99.2%
Primary admissions across County Durham (2025/26)
Inspection History(13)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.40259%
Overall absence
6.81818%
Persistent absence
44
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Butterknowle Primary School
Nearby Schools
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