Kirk Merrington Primary School

Kirk Merrington Primary has demonstrated an outstanding level of performance in all areas, including the quality of education, behaviour, attitudes, and leadership. The school maintains exceptionally high expectations and provides a rich curriculum that enables pupils to excel academically while fostering personal development. The school environment is welcoming and safe, contributing significantly to pupils' strong progress. This is the first routine inspection since its last inspection in December 2011, and the school continues to thrive under the leadership of its current headteacher, who has been in position since April 2016.

Strengths

• Exemplary pupil behaviour and well-being.
• Highly effective curriculum leading to strong academic outcomes.
• Strong emphasis on reading and developing a love for literature.
• Exceptional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• High-quality library resources and engagement with authors.

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 Kirk Merrington Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.4% 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 Kirk Merrington 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 Kirk Merrington Primary School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.3% 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, 15.6% of pupils at Kirk Merrington Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% 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 Kirk Merrington Primary School received £6,931 and spent £6,900 for each of its 180 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £12,000 (£67 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 Spennymoor · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Kirk Merrington Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kirk Merrington Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Kirk Merrington Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kirk Merrington Primary School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Kirk Merrington Primary School have?

Kirk Merrington Primary School has 180 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kirk Merrington Primary School cover?

Kirk Merrington Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kirk Merrington Primary School?

Kirk Merrington Primary School is at South View, Kirk Merrington, South View, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 7JB.