New Brancepeth Primary Academy, Durham
New Brancepeth Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Durham, part of Advance Learning Partnership. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 43 schools in Durham with published results, and 5,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
New Brancepeth Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at New Brancepeth Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in County Durham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 69% in reading and 62% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at New Brancepeth Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put New Brancepeth Primary Academy as their first choice and 13 named it as one of their preferences, for 9 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at New Brancepeth Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to New Brancepeth Primary Academy are Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Ushaw Moor (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 70% reading, 70% maths); Silver Tree Primary School and Nursery (0.7 miles, Good, 72% reading, 69% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Ushaw Moor (0.7 miles, 60% reading, 67% maths); and Bearpark Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 31% reading, 54% maths).
New Brancepeth Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Ushaw MoorSilver Tree Primary School and NurserySt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Ushaw MoorBearpark Primary School
The trust
New Brancepeth Primary Academy is one of 23 schools run by Advance Learning Partnership, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about New Brancepeth Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 77% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 55% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (55%).
Who goes there
57.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 29 pupils (26.6%) received SEN support and 10 (9.2%) 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.
Staffing
New Brancepeth Primary Academy had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Durham Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Waltons Terrace (w-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood New Brancepeth Primary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, New Brancepeth Primary Academy issued 17 suspensions, 13.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
New Brancepeth Primary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in March 2022. Before that, as New Brancepeth Primary School (URN 114119), it was rated Requires Improvement in April 2019.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a small, nurturing school with big ambitions. There is a strong sense of belonging, shared by pupils and staff. Parents and carers are made to feel welcome in school. They appreciate regular opportunities to attend events such as phonics workshops and 'learning together' sessions.
The school is committed to broadening pupils' life experiences and to raising their aspirations. The curriculum is enriched by frequent visits and visitors into school. Each pupil has a 'pupil passport' to record their experiences. These include outdoor education residential experiences and visits to historical sites. Leaders build pupils' knowledge of their area alongside a deeper understanding of the wider world.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders are taking highly effective action to continually improve the quality of education that pupils receive. The curriculum is well designed to build on pupils' prior learning. For example, children develop a secure understanding of number in the early years. This prepares them for more challenging problem-solving and reasoning tasks as they progress through school. Careful thought has been given so that pupils taught in mixed-aged classes learn the skills and knowledge in a sensible order. For example, when learning map skills, younger pupils use four points on a compass while their older classmates are introduced to eight points.
Leaders have prioritised the development of language. Books are evident throughout the early years. Children encounter new language through listening to stories. They apply this language when they tell their own stories. In key stages 1 and 2, subject curriculums identify the key vocabulary that pupils must learn. Teachers revisit this vocabulary often and make regular checks to ensure that pupils remember it. However, sometimes pupils find it more difficult to recall what they have learned and to make links in their learning. This is due to the legacy of the old curriculum and previous gaps in pupils' knowledge.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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.
At a Glance
57.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 69% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 62% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 62% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
15.5
Avg class size
10.0
Infant (KS1)
19.3
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with New Brancepeth Primary Academy
Before and after school care
New Brancepeth Primary Academy 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
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to New Brancepeth Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. New Brancepeth Primary Academy 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 New Brancepeth Primary Academy
Will you get a place at New Brancepeth Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against New Brancepeth Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for New Brancepeth Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to New Brancepeth Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at New Brancepeth Primary Academy for 2022 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
90%
Near capacity
111 pupils
124 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Durham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Durham
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
29
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
35.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
109
Total Pupils
56
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,822
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,480
Per pupil
£846k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
12.9%
Persistent absence
101
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
New Brancepeth Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about New Brancepeth Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at New Brancepeth Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is New Brancepeth Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
New Brancepeth Primary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in March 2022. Before that, as New Brancepeth Primary School (URN 114119), it was rated Requires Improvement in April 2019.
What is the catchment area for New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When New Brancepeth Primary Academy 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 New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
New Brancepeth Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 124 places.
How big are the classes at New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
Classes at New Brancepeth Primary Academy average 15.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
New Brancepeth Primary Academy has around 109 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
5.7% of sessions were missed at New Brancepeth Primary Academy in 2024/25. 12.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming New Brancepeth Primary Academy 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.
Does New Brancepeth Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
New Brancepeth Primary Academy 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.
How many road collisions happen near New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
New Brancepeth Primary Academy is at Rock Terrace, New Brancepeth, Durham, DH7 7EU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)