Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery

Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery continues to demonstrate good performance as a welcoming and inclusive environment. The school has effectively engaged pupils in their learning, resulting in high expectations being met with diligence among students. Strong relationships between staff and pupils foster a sense of safety and support, allowing independent learning to flourish, particularly in reading and mathematics. With commendable support for special educational needs and a well-organized phonics program, the school has effectively prioritized foundational skills, although gaps in certain subject areas remain a focus for improvement. Despite its strengths, the school recognizes the need to enhance the curriculum in geography and history to ensure that pupils grasp essential links and themes, as well as develop confidence in subject-specific terminology. While the school has taken steps to address attendance issues, the ongoing performance in particular foundation subjects highlights areas requiring attention to build upon the school's success. This inspection marks the first since the previous judgement of good in May 2018, reflecting a continuous journey of improvement.

Strengths

• Welcoming and inclusive school environment
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Effective prioritization of reading in the curriculum
• Well-structured phonics program leading to fluency in reading
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs
• Strong focus on mathematics with gradual knowledge building
• Effective use of local resources to enhance curriculum engagement
• Celebration of pupil achievements to support personal development

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent knowledge of links and themes in geography and history
• Lack of confidence in using subject-specific terminology
• Gaps in pupils' map-reading skills hindering progress

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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.8% 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 21.7% of pupils at Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery received £8,443 and spent £8,334 for each of its 151 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £197,000 (£1,305 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 Bishop Auckland · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery have?

Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery has 161 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery cover?

Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery?

Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery is at Lomond Walk, West Auckland, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 9UD.