Cotherstone Primary School, Barnard Castle
Cotherstone Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnard Castle. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 5 schools in Barnard Castle with published results, and 13,886th of 14,452 across England. It was 71% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
Cotherstone Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils at Cotherstone Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 50% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in County Durham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (78% in reading, 22% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Cotherstone Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Cotherstone Primary School as their first choice and 17 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 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 Cotherstone Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cotherstone Primary School are Montalbo Nursery & Primary School (2.9 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 89% maths); St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle (3.2 miles, 94% reading, 94% maths); Green Lane Church of England Primary School (3.4 miles, 82% reading, 66% maths); and Bowes Hutchinson's CofE (Aided) School (3.9 miles, Requires improvement).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Cotherstone Primary School.
Montalbo Nursery & Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard CastleGreen Lane Church of England Primary SchoolBowes Hutchinson's CofE (Aided) School
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Cotherstone Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Cotherstone Primary School.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Marwood View (n-bound), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84).
Suspensions and exclusions
Cotherstone Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
19.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 78% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 22% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
16.5
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
15.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Cotherstone Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cotherstone Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cotherstone Primary 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Cotherstone Primary School
Will you get a place at Cotherstone Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cotherstone Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cotherstone Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cotherstone Primary 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 Cotherstone Primary 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
71%
Available places
60 pupils
84 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Barnard Castle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Barnard Castle
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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
22.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
66
Total Pupils
35
Boys
31
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
11.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,903
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,969
Per pupil
£506k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.3%
Overall absence
21.2%
Persistent absence
52
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Cotherstone Primary School
What are SATs results like at Cotherstone Primary School?
Of the pupils at Cotherstone Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 50% reached the expected standard in reading and 50% did so in maths.
What is Cotherstone Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Cotherstone Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Cotherstone Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Cotherstone Primary 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 Cotherstone Primary School?
Cotherstone Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 84 places.
How big are the classes at Cotherstone Primary School?
Classes at Cotherstone Primary School average 16.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Cotherstone Primary School?
Cotherstone Primary School has around 66 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cotherstone Primary School?
7.3% of sessions were missed at Cotherstone Primary School in 2024/25. 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cotherstone Primary School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Cotherstone Primary 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 Cotherstone Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cotherstone Primary School?
Cotherstone Primary School is at Cotherstone, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 9QB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)