Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery, Bishop Auckland
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bishop Auckland. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 22 schools in Bishop Auckland with published results, and 11,486th of 14,452 across England. It was 71% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery in detail
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 61% 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 50% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery are Copeland Road Primary School (0.2 miles); St Helen Auckland Community Primary School (0.6 miles, 54% reading, 68% maths); Woodhouse Primary Academy (1.6 miles); and Toft Hill Primary School (1.7 miles, Outstanding, 84% reading, 81% maths).
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Copeland Road Primary SchoolSt Helen Auckland Community Primary SchoolWoodhouse Primary AcademyToft Hill Primary School
Who goes there
35.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 35 pupils (21.7%) received SEN support and 6 (3.7%) 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
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery had 8 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 Bishop Auckland West Weardale Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oakley Grange Farm (nw-bound), 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery 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); 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 agoThis judgement is from May 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
35.4%
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 improved from 50% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 61% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 50% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.1
Avg class size
17.0
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery 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
125 pupils
175 places
50 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
25.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
161
Total Pupils
78
Boys
83
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
20.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,679
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,629
Per pupil
£945k
Total funding
£79k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
22.8%
Persistent absence
114
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 61% did so in maths.
What is Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 175 places.
How big are the classes at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery average 22.1 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery has around 161 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
6.7% of sessions were missed at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 22.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery is at Lomond Walk, West Auckland, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 9UD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)