Witton-le-Wear Primary School, Bishop Auckland

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.7km)Possible (~2.4km)Unlikely (~3.1km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Louise Templeton
Pupils:114 / 114 capacity
LA:County Durham
Phone:01388488350
Address:Witton-le-Wear Primary School, St James Gardens, Bishop Auckland, DL14 0BG
Trust:ADVANCE LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 January 2023

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Early Years

Inspected 1 April 2025View full report
URN:149499
UKPRN:10091672
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Bishop Auckland
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school provides an excellent foundation for all children, with staff who know pupils and families extremely well. Children with additional needs receive personalised support that helps them access learning with increasing independence and be included fully in school life. The school fosters a genuine love of reading and develops confident, independent learners who can discuss their learning in depth and make links across subjects.

Key Strengths

  • Exceptional early years provision with well-planned curriculum and highly skilled staff
  • Ambitious, well-designed curriculum that meets all pupils' needs with sharp focus on fulfilling potential
  • Outstanding support for pupils with SEND, including early identification and timely specialist access
  • Strong reading culture with pupils showing impressive depth of understanding and analysis
  • Excellent attendance management with pupils and families recognising the importance of regular attendance

Areas for Improvement

  • Behaviour management systems not yet fully embedded across the school, leading to inconsistency in staff approaches and some pupils being unclear about high expectations

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular Activities

Educational visits, career days, lunchtime activity clubs, entrepreneurial projects, community events, local history and landmarks exploration

Witton-le-Wear Primary School is a highly aspirational and caring school where pupils feel safe, belong, and thrive. The school has an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and achieves exceptionally well across all areas.

At a Glance

11.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

69 responses
Would recommend93%
Child is happy96%
Well taught94%
Good progress90%
Feels safe96%
Well behaved96%
Bullying dealt with16%
Kept informed94%
Handles concerns64%
Wider development94%

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

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-20ppMaths+6ppWriting+19pp

Reading has declined from 83% to 63%. Maths has improved from 75% to 81%. Writing has improved from 75% to 94%.

Class Sizes

28.8

Avg class size

4

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Witton Hall (NW-bound)
161m · 3 min walk
High Street - Dun Cow (E-bound)
195m · 3 min walk
School Street (E-bound)
216m · 4 min walk
Marshall Green (S-bound)
400m · 7 min walk
Post Office (W-bound)
407m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

100%

Over capacity

114 pupils

114 capacity

0 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Bishop Auckland

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,040
Projected new pupils:260

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bishop Auckland

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

1 April 2025
Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Early YearsOutstanding

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

3.86576%

Overall absence

4.30108%

Persistent absence

93

Enrolments

Authorised2.89216%
Unauthorised0.9736%
Persistent (10%+)4.30108%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.93748%
22/23
4.6675%
23/24
3.86576%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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