Acre Rigg Infant School

Acre Rigg Infant School is a welcoming, inclusive infant school where pupils feel safe, behave well and are known by staff. Attendance has improved because leaders work tenaciously with families, and most previously persistently absent pupils now attend regularly. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are strong, including in early years, and bullying is rare. Safeguarding requirements are met. Inclusion is a major strength: pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those with social care involvement are identified early and supported precisely, with parents positive about the SEND support their children receive. The curriculum is well planned from Nursery to Year 2, and pupils typically achieve well in reading, maths and across subjects. Early years is well-resourced and language-rich, helping children with low starting points to develop communication and settle quickly. The main areas for development are in early reading and handwriting. Some early readers get books that do not closely match the phonics they know, which slows fluency, and staff do not consistently remind pupils to use an efficient pencil grip. Pupils’ recall of religions beyond Christianity is also limited. Leaders, governors and staff work well together, and there is a positive culture of support and high expectations. The school has high levels of disadvantage and SEN support relative to national averages, and persistent absence, while improving, remains above the national average.

Strengths

• Leaders take a rigorous, tenacious approach to improving attendance, and most previously persistently absent pupils now attend regularly.
• Pupils behave consistently well in lessons, around school and at playtimes.
• Pupils feel safe and say bullying or unkindness is very rare, with staff responding swiftly when it occurs.
• Inclusion is prioritised, and all pupils are valued and supported regardless of need.
• SEND and additional needs are assessed early, with precise support and carefully reviewed learning plans.
• Leaders have high expectations for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those known to children’s social care.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils make secure progress from their starting points.
• Parents are consistently positive about the support their children with SEND receive.
• Pupils typically achieve well and are ready for junior school by the end of Year 2.
• Phonics is taught with precision, and staff quickly address pupils’ mistakes.
• The curriculum sets out key knowledge, skills and vocabulary from Nursery to Year 2.
• Early years provides an inspiring, well-resourced environment with strong communication and language support.
• Partnerships with parents and external agencies are positive and help children settle quickly.
• Leadership and governance are knowledgeable, ambitious and focused on pupils’ needs.
• Staff benefit from well-planned professional development, and leaders are mindful of workload and wellbeing.
• A coherent personal development programme teaches safety, health, relationships, tolerance and respect.
• A wide range of enrichment activities, after-school clubs and leadership roles are available, with participation tracked.

Areas for Improvement

• Handwriting is not consistently embedded, and staff do not always remind pupils to use an efficient pencil grip.
• Early readers sometimes receive books that do not closely match the phonics they have learned, slowing fluency and confidence.
• Some pupils struggle to recall religious and cultural learning beyond Christianity.
• Persistent absence remains above the national average, although it is improving.

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 Acre Rigg Infant School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.9% 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 Acre Rigg Infant 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 Acre Rigg Infant School had 19.2 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, 23.4% of pupils at Acre Rigg Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Acre Rigg Infant School received £8,766 and spent £9,235 for each of its 227 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £34,000 (£148 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 Peterlee · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Acre Rigg Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Acre Rigg Infant School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Acre Rigg Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Acre Rigg Infant School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Acre Rigg Infant School have?

Acre Rigg Infant School has 252 pupils on roll.

What age range does Acre Rigg Infant School cover?

Acre Rigg Infant School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Acre Rigg Infant School?

Acre Rigg Infant School is at Acre Rigg Road, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 2DU.