Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw, Houghton le Spring
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This school creates a warm, inclusive environment where every child feels welcome and valued. Pupils develop a genuine love of learning through exciting experiences like meeting authors and exploring museums, while benefiting from consistently well-taught reading from the earliest years. The school combines high academic expectations with excellent personal development, helping children understand the importance of respect, tolerance, and contributing to their community.
Key Strengths
- Strong reading culture with consistent phonics teaching and effective support for struggling readers
- Quick identification and skilled support for pupils with special educational needs
- Well-organized curriculum that builds knowledge and skills, with pupils achieving well
- Excellent pupil behaviour with warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils
- Rich personal development programme including community visits, charity work, and residential trips
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent application of teaching techniques across some lessons, with some teachers not fully checking understanding or providing precise feedback
- Early years outdoor and indoor learning areas lack rich, meaningful opportunities for children to practise and embed new learning
- Need for continued staff training to ensure consistent curriculum implementation across all classes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff and pupils reporting they feel safe and cared for, and the school responding quickly to any bullying incidents.
Extracurricular Activities
Performances, workshops, residential trips, after-school activities, creative writing workshops, visits to local care home, charity fundraising
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School is a happy place where pupils are eager to learn and proud of their success. After recent leadership changes, the school has grown stronger with an improved curriculum and high expectations for every pupil.
At a Glance
13.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
73 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 88% to 79%. Maths has remained stable at around 75%. Writing has improved from 75% to 79%.
Class Sizes
27.2
Avg class size
22.3
Infant (KS1)
28.7
KS2
10
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
82%
Available places
291 pupils
353 capacity
62 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Houghton le Spring
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Houghton le Spring
Admissions Demand - Sunderland
Places available
3,460
Applications
2,785
Got 1st preference
95.4%
Got preferred school
98.8%
Primary admissions across Sunderland (2025/26)
Inspection History(3)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.75887%
Overall absence
6.32411%
Persistent absence
253
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw
Nearby Schools
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