St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, Durham

Ofsted's report card from its 17 February 2026 inspection grades St Margaret's Church of England Primary School on 7 areas: 2 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Attendance is very high across the school, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Early years - Strong standard. "In the Reception Year, children get off to a flying start."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve well in most curriculum subjects."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school has an ambitious curriculum in place that is designed and sequenced well."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have fostered an inclusive culture, which threads through all areas of the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors demonstrate a robust sense of ambition for the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a coherent and well-sequenced programme of personal development that extends both through and beyond the taught curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further embed consistent teaching of the wider curriculum, with a focus on enabling pupils to produce high-quality work in all foundation subjects so that they achieve well".

In 2025, 95% of Year 6 pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 95% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in County Durham and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (95% in reading, 92% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 54 families put St Margaret's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 125 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School are Neville's Cross Primary School and Nursery (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); St Oswald's Church of England Aided Primary and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); Langley Moor Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths); and Laurel Avenue Community Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 70% maths).

St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.

89 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Margaret's Church of England Primary School (as of April 2026): 88% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 36% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (36%).

2.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 35 pupils (8.8%) received SEN support and 3 (0.8%) 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 autism.

The nearest railway station is Durham Rail Station, about 870 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Margarets School (w-bound), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Margaret's Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 227 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.

St Margaret's Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

The secondary schools closest to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School are Durham Johnston Comprehensive School (0.6 miles); St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham (0.8 miles); and Framwellgate School Durham (1.7 miles).