Montalbo Nursery & Primary School, Barnard Castle
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnard Castle. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 5 schools in Barnard Castle with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School in detail
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, gymnastics, badminton, dance and STEM.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% 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 100% in reading and 100% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Montalbo Nursery & Primary School as their first choice and 67 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Montalbo Nursery & Primary School are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle (0.4 miles, 94% reading, 94% maths); Green Lane Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, 82% reading, 66% maths); Cotherstone Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 50% reading, 50% maths); and Bowes Hutchinson's CofE (Aided) School (4.3 miles, Requires improvement).
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard CastleGreen Lane Church of England Primary SchoolCotherstone Primary SchoolBowes Hutchinson's CofE (Aided) School
Who goes there
13.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 22 pupils (9.2%) received SEN support and 3 (1.3%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 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 Montalbo Nursery & Primary School.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Montalbo Road - School (s-bound), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Montalbo Nursery & Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Montalbo Nursery & 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
13.8%
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 100% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 100% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 100% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.0
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
ROAR Project
30 Sep 2026
Emotional Wellbeing and Effective Learning Parent/Carer Workshop Resources
28 Sep 2026
Another Busy Week!
25 Sep 2026
An Exciting Week in Year 3!
25 Sep 2026
FOMS BINGO NIGHT
23 Sep 2026
Guess Who?
23 Sep 2026
From Montalbo Nursery & Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Montalbo Nursery & Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Montalbo Nursery & 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)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
Will you get a place at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Montalbo Nursery & Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Montalbo Nursery & Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Montalbo Nursery & 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 Montalbo Nursery & 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
99%
Near capacity
208 pupils
210 places
2 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
10.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
240
Total Pupils
117
Boys
123
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,616
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,189
Per pupil
£1178k
Total funding
£39k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
9.9%
Persistent absence
182
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
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
Questions parents ask about Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
What are SATs results like at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
Of the pupils at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is Montalbo Nursery & Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2015 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Montalbo Nursery & 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 Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
Classes at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School average 26 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School has around 240 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Montalbo Nursery & Primary School in 2024/25. 9.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Montalbo Nursery & 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 Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Montalbo Nursery & Primary School?
Montalbo Nursery & Primary School is at Fairfield Road, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8TN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)