Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School, Ferryhill
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ferryhill. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 7 schools in Ferryhill with published results, and 13,208th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School in detail
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School in its own words
In its own words: "In this section you will find information on how we run our school including our current staffing structure and governing body."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, hockey, gymnastics and photography.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School reached the expected standard in reading and 56% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in County Durham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 69% in reading and 69% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School as their first choice and 28 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 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 Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School are Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School (0.5 miles, Good, 56% reading, 41% maths); Cleves Cross Primary and Nursery School Academy (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 87% maths); Ferryhill Station Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 50% maths); and North Park Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 72% reading, 63% maths).
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery SchoolCleves Cross Primary and Nursery School AcademyFerryhill Station Primary SchoolNorth Park Primary School
What parents say
45 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School (as of September 2026): 98% would recommend the school, 98% 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 pupils behave well (93%).
Who goes there
66.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dean Bank Youth Club (ne-bound), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 146 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting 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
In 2024/25, Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School issued 13 suspensions, 7.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School are Ferryhill School (0.7 miles) and Aycliffe Secure Centre (1.3 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School sits at the heart of its community. Pupils are proud of their school. They try hard to follow the school's community rules. Most pupils feel happy and safe. Behaviour is generally positive in lessons and at breaktimes. However, pupils report that there are occasionally arguments that lead to fights. This makes them feel worried. Pupils recognise that teachers deal with these incidents when they occur. However, some pupils report that the problems reoccur frequently. They do not feel that the actions taken are always successful.
The school has been in the process of rewriting the curriculum. Leaders felt that the current curriculum was not fully meeting the needs of all pupils. While this work is leading to some positive changes, it is still in the early stages of development. Pupils are not benefiting from a coherent curriculum that builds over time. As a result, some pupils cannot remember what they have already learned in some subjects.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school prioritises reading. Pupils read books that contain the sounds that they are learning. They use effective strategies to read unfamiliar words. This helps them to develop confidence and fluency in reading. The school regularly checks what pupils understand. Staff use this information to quickly identify pupils who are not keeping up with the school's reading programme. When needed, these pupils access pre-teaching in small groups so that they can keep pace with their friends in lessons.
Leaders have invested a significant amount of time in training staff to deliver the curriculum consistently well. Staff now provide pupils with the time to revisit previous subject knowledge before moving on to new learning. This is having the most impact in reading. Pupils develop their skills and knowledge as they move through school, resulting in strong outcomes at the end of key stage 2. In other subjects, such as religious education, art and science, pupils can remember little of what they have been taught. Too many pupils do not take enough pride in the presentation of work.
From Ofsted's May 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its May 2024 inspection.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement), Early years (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
66.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
45 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 69% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 69% to 56% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.8
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
23.8
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School
Before and after school care
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in County Durham
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School, with their latest published grades:
- Dean Bank Early Years - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 12 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Bright Futures Ferryhill After School Club - Day nursery, 0.7 miles
- Pixley Dell Nursery - Day nursery, 1.4 milesOfsted, 9 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Tudhoe Moor Nursery Pre-School - Pre-school, 1.4 miles
- Jack in the Box Day Care - Day nursery, 1.4 milesOfsted, 2 February 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dean Bank Primary and Nursery 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School
Will you get a place at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
For 2026 entry it had 16 first choices for 17 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
166 pupils
210 places
44 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Ferryhill planning area (County Durham) will have 384 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
181
Total Pupils
94
Boys
87
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
22.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,404
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,243
Per pupil
£1355k
Total funding
£162k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
21.7%
Persistent absence
152
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
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School
What are SATs results like at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
Of the pupils at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 56% did so in maths.
What is Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
Classes at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School average 21.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils.
How many pupils go to Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School has around 181 pupils on roll. 67% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School in 2024/25. 21.7% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026).
How many road collisions happen near Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School?
Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School is at Dean Bank, Ferryhill, County Durham, DL17 8PP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)