South Stanley Infant and Nursery School, Stanley
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Stanley, part of Stanley Learning Partnership. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. It was 46% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than 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
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School in detail
Getting a place at South Stanley Infant and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put South Stanley Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 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 South Stanley Infant and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to South Stanley Infant and Nursery School are South Stanley Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 85% reading, 81% maths); St Mary's Catholic Primary School, South Moor (0.3 miles, Good, 50% reading, 22% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Stanley (0.6 miles, 83% reading, 86% maths); and Greenland Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 82% reading, 87% maths).
South Stanley Junior SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary School, South MoorSt Joseph's Catholic Primary, StanleyGreenland Community Primary School
The trust
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School is one of 11 schools run by Stanley Learning Partnership, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about South Stanley Infant and Nursery School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school and 92% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (92%).
Who goes there
52.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 10 pupils (8.8%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School had 6 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 South Stanley Infant and Nursery School.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Avon Road - Tyne Road (sw-bound), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood South Stanley Infant 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 264 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to South Stanley Infant and Nursery School are North Durham Academy (0.6 miles) and Tanfield School (1 mile).
Sources: 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 agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a truly welcoming environment where every child feels valued and important. Staff build strong relationships with pupils from the start, encouraging confidence and independence while maintaining calm, purposeful classrooms where children enjoy learning and work hard. The school goes beyond academics - offering varied clubs, leadership opportunities, and extensive pastoral support to help every child, including those with additional needs, succeed.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, with pupils responding positively and behaving well - classrooms are calm and purposeful
- Ambitious, well-planned curriculum with essential knowledge mapped out precisely to help pupils build understanding step by step
- Sharp focus on reading for all with consistent, well-taught phonics lessons and excellent parent involvement through reading cafes and workshops
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, with precise identification of needs and timely, effective targets
- Relentless focus on attendance with personalised family support leading to year-on-year improvements
Areas for Improvement
- Early writing teaching approaches are not used consistently by all staff, meaning some pupils do not develop writing skills as quickly as they should
- Pupils do not recall knowledge about faiths and religions confidently - opportunities to revisit this learning are variable
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders committed to putting pupils' interests first and creating an open, positive safeguarding culture.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school clubs, breakfast club, peer mentoring, school council, waste warriors initiative
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. Pupils thrive in this welcoming school where caring staff encourage confidence, independence, and kindness.
At a Glance
52.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
20.2
Avg class size
21.5
Infant (KS1)
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with South Stanley Infant and Nursery School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to South Stanley Infant and Nursery School, with their latest published grades:
- Little Acorns (North East) Ltd. - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted report card, 6 May 2026: Expected standard in 1 area, Needs attention in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
- The Louisa Centre Nursery - Day nursery, 0.4 milesOfsted, 16 February 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Emeralds Little Gems Daycare - Stanley Centre - Day nursery, 0.4 milesOfsted, 3 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Emeralds Little Gems Daycare - Stanley House - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 16 November 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Craghead Childcare Centre - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 23 January 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to South Stanley Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. South Stanley Infant 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
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 21 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle 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 South Stanley Infant and Nursery School
Will you get a place at South Stanley Infant and Nursery School?
For 2026 entry it had 25 first choices for 25 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
46%
Available places
83 pupils
180 places
97 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 Stanley Primary planning area (County Durham) will have 1,199 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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
8.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
113
Total Pupils
62
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
18.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,535
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,485
Per pupil
£709k
Total funding
£74k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
7.8%
Persistent absence
64
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
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about South Stanley Infant and Nursery School
What is South Stanley Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at South Stanley Infant and Nursery School?
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 46% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at South Stanley Infant and Nursery School?
Classes at South Stanley Infant and Nursery School average 20.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to South Stanley Infant and Nursery School?
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School has around 113 pupils on roll. 52% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at South Stanley Infant and Nursery School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at South Stanley Infant and Nursery School in 2024/25. 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near South Stanley Infant and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 21 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle 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 South Stanley Infant and Nursery School?
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School is at Tyne Road, South Stanley, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 6PZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)