St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School, Newton Aycliffe
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Newton Aycliffe. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 9 schools in Newton Aycliffe with published results, and 14,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 52% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 33% 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 50% in reading and 47% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 8 families put St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School as their first choice and 20 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School are Byerley Park Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 80% reading, 87% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 84% reading, 89% maths); Stephenson Way Academy and Nursery School (0.4 miles, Good, 48% reading, 48% maths); and Woodham Burn Community Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles, 61% reading, 70% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School.
Byerley Park Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolStephenson Way Academy and Nursery SchoolWoodham Burn Community Primary School and Nursery
Who goes there
70.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 8.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Black (5%).
Staffing
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newton Aycliffe Rail Station, about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alston Crescent (se-bound), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Francis Horndale CofE Primary 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 237 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
In 2024/25, St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School issued 32 suspensions, 35.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School are Greenfield Academy (0.3 miles) and Woodham Academy (1.3 miles).
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 2015, 11 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a nurturing and aspirational school. Pupils benefit from the caring atmosphere it provides. Pupils and families feel valued and cared for. The carefully curated spaces, such as the 'Hobbit hole' and 'Nurture room', bring a homely feel to the school. This helps to create an inclusive environment where pupils feel at ease.
The school is ambitious for all pupils. The school motto, 'Let your light shine bright', is lived out by pupils and staff. The newly introduced curriculum helps pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. Pupils are encouraged to believe that they can achieve anything they want to.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has high expectations of pupils from the beginning of their journey at St Francis. The curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning in every lesson. Staff check to make sure that pupils learn and remember what they have been taught. Teachers adapt the curriculum to help pupils fill any gaps in their knowledge. As a result, pupils achieve well by the end of key stage 2.
The well-being of pupils is a high priority, particularly for pupils who are disadvantaged or those with SEND. Pupils benefit from the sensory resources, special rooms and pastoral support provided by the school. Most pupils with SEND are well supported in lessons. Staff know the needs of these pupils well and provide the precise help they need to be successful. However, when pupils with SEND join the school, sometimes, the school takes too long to put the appropriate support in place.
From Ofsted's June 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.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
70.1%
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 50% to 42% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 47% to 33% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
20.7
Avg class size
20.5
Infant (KS1)
20.8
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis Horndale CofE 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 4 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Francis Horndale CofE 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School for 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
52%
Available places
86 pupils
164 places
78 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newton Aycliffe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newton Aycliffe
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
22.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
147
Total Pupils
80
Boys
67
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,788
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,773
Per pupil
£868k
Total funding
£102k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.3%
Overall absence
27.4%
Persistent absence
95
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
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 42% reached the expected standard in reading and 33% did so in maths.
What is St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis Horndale CofE 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 52% of its 164 places.
How big are the classes at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
Classes at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School average 20.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School has around 147 pupils on roll. 70% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
7.3% of sessions were missed at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 27.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis Horndale CofE 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 4 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School is at Scholars Path, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 7HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)