Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, Stanley

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades Tanfield Lea Community 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. "Leaders ensure that securing high attendance rates for pupils is everyone's responsibility."

Early years - Strong standard. "The early years is a strength of the school."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders have made positive curriculum changes to prioritise pupils' foundational knowledge and skills."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school's curriculum is broad and balanced."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Tanfield Lea is an inclusive school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Since the last inspection, the leadership of the school has changed."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders are committed to providing pupils with a broad range of opportunities that widen their view of the world."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the support strategies in place for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are used consistently across all classes and key stages"; "Leaders should ensure that the expectations that staff have of pupils' handwriting, spelling and grammar are in place across all curriculum subjects".

In its own words: "In this section you will find information on how we run our school including our current staffing structure, governing body. You can use performance tables (sometimes known as league tables) to compare schools and colleges in your area. You can check:"

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, athletics, gymnastics, karate, dance and cheerleading.

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Tanfield Lea Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% 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 (75% in reading, 81% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 34 families put Tanfield Lea Community Primary School as their first choice and 57 named it as one of their preferences, for 34 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Tanfield Lea Community Primary School are St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Stanley (1.1 miles, 83% reading, 86% maths); Shield Row Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 83% reading, 74% maths); St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Dipton (1.3 miles, 78% reading, 87% maths); and South Stanley Infant and Nursery School (1.5 miles, Good).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Tanfield Lea Community Primary School.

32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Tanfield Lea Community Primary School (as of April 2026): 97% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).

33.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 66 pupils (20.3%) received SEN support and 1 (0.3%) 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.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Tanfield Lea Community Primary School.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Margaret Terrace (se-bound), 70 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 40 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84).

In 2024/25, Tanfield Lea Community Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Tanfield Lea Community Primary School are Tanfield School (0.5 miles) and North Durham Academy (1.3 miles).