Lumley Junior School

Lumley Junior School continues to demonstrate overall good performance, providing a warm and welcoming environment where positive relationships flourish between staff and pupils. The school has established high expectations for both behavior and academic achievement, particularly excelling in mathematics. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed, allowing pupils to build knowledge over time. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in enabling pupils to apply their subject knowledge more effectively across various subjects. This inspection also highlights the school's strong commitment to pupil safety and well-being, as well as their efforts to engage pupils in extracurricular activities.

Strengths

• Warm and welcoming school environment
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• High expectations for behavior and academic achievement
• Thoughtfully constructed curriculum
• Strong performance in mathematics
• Effective phonics curriculum for reading support
• Well-established pupil ambassador roles
• Active engagement in extracurricular activities
• Effective support for pupils with SEND

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent opportunities for pupils to apply subject knowledge in some subjects
• Tasks do not always encourage precise conclusions from pupils

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Lumley Junior School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.7% of pupils at Lumley Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Lumley Junior School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.0% of pupils at Lumley Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Lumley Junior School received £7,495 and spent £7,338 for each of its 186 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £181,000 (£975 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Chester Le Street · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Lumley Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lumley Junior School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Lumley Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lumley Junior School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Lumley Junior School have?

Lumley Junior School has 186 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lumley Junior School cover?

Lumley Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Lumley Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lumley Junior School?

Lumley Junior School is at Cocken Lane, Great Lumley, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 4JJ.