Cockton Hill Infant School, Bishop Auckland
Cockton Hill Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Bishop Auckland. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. It was 96% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cockton Hill Infant School in detail
Cockton Hill Infant School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am, from £1 per day.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Cockton Hill Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put Cockton Hill Infant School as their first choice and 60 named it as one of their preferences, for 37 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Cockton Hill Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cockton Hill Infant School are Cockton Hill Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Requires improvement, 65% reading, 65% maths); St Andrew's Academy (0.3 miles, 65% reading, 77% maths); St Anne's CofE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 83% maths); and Etherley Lane Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 73% reading, 75% maths).
Cockton Hill Junior SchoolSt Andrew's AcademySt Anne's CofE Primary SchoolEtherley Lane Primary School
What parents say
27 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cockton Hill Infant School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child does well at the school (96%).
Who goes there
50% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 33 pupils (22.6%) received SEN support and 3 (2.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bishop Auckland Rail Station, about 560 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gent Road (se-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Cockton Hill Infant School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 298 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Cockton Hill Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Cockton Hill Infant School are King James I Academy Bishop Auckland (0.6 miles), Bishop Barrington Academy (0.6 miles) and St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College (0.7 miles).
King James I Academy Bishop AucklandBishop Barrington AcademySt John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Cockton Hill Infant School creates a warm, supportive community where your child will feel confident and cared for. The school excels at teaching reading through expert phonics sessions and offers exciting learning experiences beyond the classroom, including trips to local sites like castles. Staff work closely with parents to help every child progress, particularly those needing extra support.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on phonics and early reading, with pupils becoming confident readers who enjoy daily story time
- Warm, respectful relationships between staff and pupils that encourage positive behaviour and motivation
- Well-designed curriculum that prioritises English and maths with effective checks on learning
- Tailored support for pupils with SEND through specialist provision including a 'nurture' programme
- Broad and balanced wider curriculum with impressive pupil recall of subjects like history
Areas for Improvement
- Some learning tasks in lessons do not sufficiently support curriculum aims, slowing pupil progress
- Curriculum adaptations for some pupils with SEND do not help them achieve at the same level as their peers
- Attendance for some pupils is below expected levels, meaning they miss out on learning and experiences
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest school, growing pumpkins, tending chicks in springtime, castle visits, pop-up library
Cockton Hill Infant School has maintained good standards following its previous inspection. The school provides a supportive, enthusiastic environment where pupils achieve well and develop vital life skills.
At a Glance
50.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
27 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
23.0
Avg class size
22.3
Infant (KS1)
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Cockton Hill Infant School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cockton Hill Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cockton Hill Infant School is in County Durham; for families living there:
- County Durham's school travel policy: School transport policies and strategies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school travel
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Cockton Hill Infant School
Will you get a place at Cockton Hill Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cockton Hill Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cockton Hill Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cockton Hill Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cockton Hill Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in County Durham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
168 pupils
175 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bishop Auckland
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bishop Auckland
Across County Durham council
Places available
6,581
Applications
4,409
Got 1st preference
97.3%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
24.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
146
Total Pupils
83
Boys
63
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
14.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,208
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,369
Per pupil
£1263k
Total funding
£111k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
16.4%
Persistent absence
122
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Cockton Hill Infant School
Questions parents ask about Cockton Hill Infant School
What is Cockton Hill Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Cockton Hill Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Cockton Hill Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Cockton Hill Infant School is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Cockton Hill Infant School?
Cockton Hill Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Cockton Hill Infant School?
Classes at Cockton Hill Infant School average 23 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Cockton Hill Infant School?
Cockton Hill Infant School has around 146 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cockton Hill Infant School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Cockton Hill Infant School in 2024/25. 16.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cockton Hill Infant School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Cockton Hill Infant School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Cockton Hill Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cockton Hill Infant School?
Cockton Hill Infant School is at McIntyre Terrace, Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6HW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)