Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School

Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School has shown notable improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a status of requiring improvement to achieving a good overall effectiveness rating. The school is a nurturing environment where pupils are engaged and feel safe and supported. Leaders have developed a broad curriculum with strong partnerships with families, promoting positive behavior and attitudes among students. However, there are areas needing attention, particularly regarding the consistency of assessment practices and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pupil communication skills and academic performance.

Strengths

• Leaders have established positive partnerships with families.
• Pupils behave well and have a strong sense of responsibility.
• The curriculum is broad and well-planned.
• Teaching of reading is prioritized with effective phonics instruction.
• Early years provision helps children to settle quickly and thrive.

Areas for Improvement

• Some assessment practices are inconsistent, making it difficult to identify curriculum improvements.
• A minority of pupils have poor attendance.

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 Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.6% 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, 1.8% of pupils at Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery 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 Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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, 22.8% of pupils at Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School 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 Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School received £9,257 and spent £8,777 for each of its 236 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £374,000 (£1,589 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 Ferryhill · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School have?

Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School has 246 pupils on roll.

What age range does Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School cover?

Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 32% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School?

Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School is at Broom Road, Ferryhill, County Durham, DL17 8AN.