West Cornforth Primary School, Ferryhill

Outstanding
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.2km)Possible (~1.8km)Unlikely (~2.3km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Kathryn Costello
Pupils:251 / 186 capacity
LA:County Durham
Phone:01740654315
Address:High Street, West Cornforth, Ferryhill, DL17 9HP
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 16 September 2025View full report
URN:114079
UKPRN:10073263
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

West Cornforth provides a calm, happy environment where children feel truly cared for and develop strong relationships with trusted adults. The school sets high expectations and celebrates success, helping pupils believe in themselves. With excellent enrichment activities, strong early reading teaching, and consistent behavior management, your child will have a well-rounded education.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils are safe and happy with warm, respectful relationships throughout the school
  • Early reading is taught with confidence using the school's chosen phonics programme
  • Mathematics teaching builds knowledge through regular practice and effective checking of understanding
  • Early years provision gives children a strong start with well-designed activities
  • Pupils have excellent access to enrichment opportunities including clubs, trips, and leadership roles

Areas for Improvement

  • Assessment in some subjects is not precise enough to clearly show how well pupils have learned or identify appropriate next steps
  • Attendance remains too low for a significant number of pupils, causing them to miss important learning and enrichment opportunities
  • Subsequent learning does not always address identified gaps or provide sufficient challenge in some subjects

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Cookery, art, sports clubs, museum visits, local landmark trips, library visits, school leadership roles, community initiatives

West Cornforth Primary School is a Good school where pupils are safe, happy, and achieve well in a warm, supportive environment. The school offers a broad curriculum with strong early reading provision and good behavior management.

At a Glance

47.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+6ppMaths+20ppWriting+18pp

Reading has improved from 77% to 83%. Maths has improved from 68% to 88%. Writing has improved from 74% to 92%.

Class Sizes

27.5

Avg class size

26.3

Infant (KS1)

28.5

KS2

8

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Market Place (W-bound)
124m · 2 min walk
Balaclava (SW-bound)
185m · 3 min walk
High Street (NE-bound)
287m · 5 min walk
Library (NW-bound)
383m · 6 min walk
Villas (SE-bound)
404m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

135%

Over capacity

251 pupils

186 capacity

65 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Ferryhill

Low pressure
New homes approved:274
Projected new pupils:69

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ferryhill

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(8)

16 September 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
7 February 2024
6 November 2018
OutstandingReport
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding

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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

6.1484%

Overall absence

14.53488%

Persistent absence

172

Enrolments

Authorised4.57429%
Unauthorised1.57412%
Persistent (10%+)14.53488%
Severe (50%+)2.32558%

Absence trend

3.42886%
18/19
2.73023%
20/21
5.13786%
21/22
5.63507%
22/23
6.4399%
23/24
6.1484%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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