Cotherstone Primary School

Cotherstone Primary School has made a positive transition since its last inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating across all assessed areas after being previously rated 'Outstanding'. The school is characterized as a small and nurturing environment where pupils feel safe, happy, and motivated to learn. Staff members have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is broad and ambitious, providing opportunities for pupils to develop a deep understanding of various subjects, although some areas, particularly in mathematics, require further development.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a nurturing and welcoming school environment.
• High expectations from teachers for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Effective reading curriculum leading to keen and fluent readers.
• Strong personal development and leadership opportunities for pupils.
• Involvement of diverse visiting speakers enhancing cultural understanding.

Areas for Improvement

• Mathematics curriculum implementation is in early stages, affecting pupil progress.
• Inconsistent assessment procedures in foundation subjects hinder identification of knowledge gaps.

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 Cotherstone Primary School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.2% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Cotherstone Primary 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 Cotherstone Primary School had 13.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 37.0% 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, 18.2% of pupils at Cotherstone Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Cotherstone Primary School received £10,356 and spent £10,031 for each of its 64 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £83,000 (£1,313 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 Barnard Castle · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Cotherstone Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cotherstone Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Cotherstone Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cotherstone Primary School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Cotherstone Primary School have?

Cotherstone Primary School has 66 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cotherstone Primary School cover?

Cotherstone Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Cotherstone Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 40% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cotherstone Primary School?

Cotherstone Primary School is at Cotherstone, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 9QB.