St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle, Barnard Castle

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~672m)Possible (~960m)Unlikely (~1.2km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Lesley Ann Box
Pupils:103 / 105 capacity
LA:County Durham
Phone:01833637029
Address:Birch Road, Barnard Castle, DL12 8JR
Trust:BISHOP HOGARTH CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 May 2022

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:149058
UKPRN:10090317
Diocese:Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Constituency:Bishop Auckland
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good.

A plain-English summary of the full inspection report is coming soon.

At a Glance

21.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

32 responses
Would recommend97%
Child is happy100%
Well taught97%
Good progress97%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved97%
Bullying dealt with9%
Kept informed97%
Handles concerns47%
Wider development97%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMaths+13ppWriting+7pp

Reading has remained stable at around 94%. Maths has improved from 81% to 94%. Writing has improved from 81% to 88%.

Class Sizes

25.3

Avg class size

25.0

Infant (KS1)

24.5

KS2

4

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

RC School (NW-bound)
85m · 1 min walk
Newgate (SE-bound)
112m · 2 min walk
Bowes Museum Entrance Door (N-bound)
233m · 4 min walk
Market Place (S-bound)
248m · 4 min walk
Crook Lane - Bowes Museum (NW-bound)
251m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

98%

Near capacity

103 pupils

105 capacity

2 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Barnard Castle

Low pressure
New homes approved:219
Projected new pupils:55

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Barnard Castle

Admissions Demand - County Durham

Low demand0.68x oversubscription

Places available

6,592

Applications

4,491

Got 1st preference

96.4%

Got preferred school

99.2%

Primary admissions across County Durham (2025/26)

Inspection History(101)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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.

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.20923%

Overall absence

7.79221%

Persistent absence

77

Enrolments

Authorised2.69547%
Unauthorised0.51376%
Persistent (10%+)7.79221%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.12849%
22/23
3.92091%
23/24
3.20923%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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