Woodlea Primary School, Houghton le Spring
Woodlea Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Houghton le Spring, part of Eden Learning Trust. It was 94% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Woodlea Primary School in detail
Woodlea Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "“What have you done today to make you feel proud?” Heather Small 2000 Our school motto is ‘Proud’, and it is not just a word in Woodlea, it is a sentiment that is engrained into the ethos of our school."
From the headteacher's welcome: "My name is Philip Adamson and I have had the privilege to be Woodlea’s Headteacher since 2008. To be custodian of such a highly regarded school, and work with such fantastic children, staff and supportive families is my dream job."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
Woodlea Primary School has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2024, under its previous registration (URN 114009), 86% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at Woodlea Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Woodlea Primary School as their first choice and 53 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Woodlea Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Woodlea Primary School are Bournmoor Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 65% maths); Dubmire Primary (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths); Lumley Junior School (1.3 miles, Good, 79% reading, 93% maths); and Lumley Infant and Nursery School (1.3 miles, Good).
Bournmoor Primary SchoolDubmire PrimaryLumley Junior SchoolLumley Infant and Nursery School
The trust
Woodlea Primary School is one of 10 schools run by Eden Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
1.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 23 pupils (11.7%) received SEN support and 2 (1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chester-le-Street Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Woodlea Court (ne-bound), 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Woodlea Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 2.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Woodlea Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2024. Before that, as Woodlea Primary School (URN 114009), it was rated Good in January 2019.
At a Glance
22.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
Results at Woodlea Primary School before it took its current form in 2024 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published under the school's previous registration (URN 114009). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 84% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Woodlea Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woodlea Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodlea Primary School is in County Durham; for families living there:
- County Durham's school travel policy: School transport policies and strategies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school travel
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Woodlea Primary School
Will you get a place at Woodlea Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Woodlea Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Woodlea Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Woodlea Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Woodlea Primary School for 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in County Durham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
190 pupils
202 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Houghton le Spring
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Houghton le Spring
Across County Durham council
Places available
6,581
Applications
4,409
Got 1st preference
97.3%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
12.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
197
Total Pupils
108
Boys
89
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£37,072
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,563
Per pupil
£1184k
Total funding
£65k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
8.1%
Persistent absence
172
Enrolments
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Woodlea Primary School
Questions parents ask about Woodlea Primary School
Are there exam results for Woodlea Primary School?
Woodlea Primary School has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2024, under its previous registration (URN 114009), 86% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is Woodlea Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Woodlea Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2024. Before that, as Woodlea Primary School (URN 114009), it was rated Good in January 2019.
What is the catchment area for Woodlea Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Woodlea Primary School is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Woodlea Primary School?
Woodlea Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 202 places.
How big are the classes at Woodlea Primary School?
Classes at Woodlea Primary School average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Woodlea Primary School?
Woodlea Primary School has around 197 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Woodlea Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Woodlea Primary School in 2024/25. 8.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Woodlea Primary School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Woodlea Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Woodlea Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Woodlea Primary School?
Woodlea Primary School is at Fence Houses, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 6AR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)