St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School

St Francis CofE (Aided) Junior School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. It fosters a nurturing and aspirational environment where both pupils and families feel valued. With a strong emphasis on inclusivity, the school has high expectations for behavior and academic achievement, helping students develop a positive mindset towards learning. The introduction of a new curriculum is particularly beneficial for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, ensuring that they are set up for success. While the school has notable strengths, such as a caring atmosphere and a variety of extracurricular activities, there are also areas needing improvement. Transition processes for new pupils with special educational needs have been identified as lacking timeliness, and some students struggle with consistent reading support, which hinders their fluency. Additionally, attendance remains a concern, as several pupils miss significant learning opportunities due to irregular attendance or lateness.

Strengths

• Nurturing and caring atmosphere
• High expectations for pupil behavior and learning
• Inclusive environment with tailored support for disadvantaged pupils
• Variety of extracurricular activities enhancing pupil experience
• Strong focus on developing reading skills
• Positive and motivated staff

Areas for Improvement

• Delayed support for new pupils with SEND
• Inconsistent additional reading support for some pupils
• Concerns regarding attendance and punctuality

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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 27.4% 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, 10.0% of pupils at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School had 17.3 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, 19.0% of pupils at St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School received £12,119 and spent £11,251 for each of its 142 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £330,000 (£2,321 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 Newton Aycliffe · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School have?

St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School has 147 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School cover?

St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 25% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School?

St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School is at Scholars Path, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 7HB.