Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, Stanley

Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.1km)Possible (~1.6km)Unlikely (~2.0km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Mark Temple
Pupils:325 / 400 capacity
LA:County Durham
Phone:01207234500
Address:Tanfield Lea, Stanley, DH9 9LU
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2007

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Strong Standard
Inspected 6 May 2026View full report
URN:131545
UKPRN:10076709
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:North Durham
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Tanfield Lea is a caring school where children get off to a flying start in the early years and are well supported throughout their time there. Staff know pupils and families well, removing barriers to learning so all pupils can succeed. The school provides a rich range of experiences including residential visits, theatre trips, music lessons and sports, helping pupils develop confidence and broaden their horizons.

Key Strengths

  • Early years is a particular strength with children making rapid progress through a warm, language-rich curriculum
  • Attendance rates are high for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have additional needs
  • Behaviour is excellent with bullying rare and classrooms calm and purposeful
  • Reading is taught effectively using suitable texts that build fluency and confidence
  • Strong inclusive approach that makes all pupils feel valued and safe

Areas for Improvement

  • High standards in English writing have not yet extended to writing across the wider curriculum - pupils' handwriting, spelling and grammar are less accurate in other subjects
  • Need to ensure consistent teaching approaches for handwriting, spelling and grammar standards across all subjects

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Residential visits, theatre trips, school talent show, litter pick, ukulele lessons for key stage 2, first aid training, clubs and sporting opportunities

Tanfield Lea Community Primary School is a safe, welcoming school where pupils thrive and attend regularly. The school has made positive curriculum improvements and provides a broad range of enriching experiences for all pupils.

At a Glance

34.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

32 responses
Would recommend100%
Child is happy100%
Well taught100%
Good progress91%
Feels safe97%
Well behaved91%
Bullying dealt with9%
Kept informed97%
Handles concerns56%
Wider development91%

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

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+1ppMaths-2ppWriting-2pp

Reading has remained stable at around 76%. Maths has remained stable at around 79%. Writing has remained stable at around 69%.

Class Sizes

25.8

Avg class size

26.2

Infant (KS1)

24.4

KS2

13

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Margaret Terrace (SE-bound)
72m · 1 min walk
Park (NW-bound)
232m · 4 min walk
West Street (NE-bound)
365m · 6 min walk
Road End (NE-bound)
403m · 7 min walk
The Crescent (NW-bound)
513m · 8 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

81%

Available places

325 pupils

400 capacity

75 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Stanley

Low pressure
New homes approved:427
Projected new pupils:107

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Stanley

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(5)

6 May 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
10 May 2022
28 February 2017

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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

4.12247%

Overall absence

5.90551%

Persistent absence

254

Enrolments

Authorised2.93813%
Unauthorised1.18434%
Persistent (10%+)5.90551%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.77729%
18/19
2.89807%
20/21
6.01189%
21/22
6.39231%
22/23
4.87155%
23/24
4.12247%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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