Firthmoor Primary School

Firthmoor Primary is an improving school that Ofsted judges to be meeting the expected standard in all inspected areas, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is part of Northern Lights Learning Trust, serves 283 pupils in an area with above-average deprivation, and has a well-above-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Leaders have made significant recent improvements, particularly in phonics, curriculum ambition, SEND provision and attendance. Strengths include strong early years practice, especially in communication, language and vocabulary, and a phonics programme that is taught consistently well. Pupils are happy, feel safe, behave well and benefit from calm routines. Inclusion is a clear priority, with prompt identification of needs and effective targeted support for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care. Personal development is highly ambitious, with rich wider opportunities, pupil leadership roles and preparation for life in modern Britain. Attendance has improved and persistent absence has reduced. The main areas for development are the further embedding of recent curriculum changes so that knowledge builds securely over time, and making checks on pupils' understanding consistently rigorous so misconceptions are addressed promptly. Some pupils struggle to recall key knowledge in newer subjects such as RE and PSHE, and teaching is occasionally inconsistent, sometimes lacking rehearsal of prior knowledge or sufficient precision. Leaders also need to further embed personal development so pupils consistently show mutual respect and tolerance, and continue to address occasional bullying so all pupils feel they belong.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Leaders have made significant improvements, including stronger phonics and a more ambitious curriculum.
• The phonics programme is taught well and with fidelity, helping pupils develop reading and writing.
• Early years staff model language effectively, with strong communication and vocabulary development.
• Children get a positive start in Nursery and the early years.
• Inclusion is a priority, with prompt identification and effective support for pupils with SEND and other barriers.
• Pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care receive carefully targeted support.
• Attendance is typically regular and persistent absence has reduced.
• Behaviour is generally good, classrooms are calm and orderly, and routines are well established.
• Pupils are happy, friendly and feel safe; staff build warm and positive relationships.
• Personal development provision is highly ambitious and tailored to the school context.
• Pupils have strong opportunities for leadership and contribution to school life.
• The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain, including online safety and wellbeing.
• Leaders and trustees know the school well, provide appropriate challenge and support, and use additional funding effectively.
• Staff wellbeing and professional development are well supported.
• The breadth of after-school clubs and educational visits is rich.

Areas for Improvement

• Recent curriculum changes need further embedding so pupils' knowledge builds more securely over time.
• In newer subjects such as RE and PSHE, some pupils struggle to recall key knowledge over time.
• Checks on pupils' understanding are not consistently rigorous throughout lessons and over time.
• Some teaching does not rehearse prior knowledge or provide sufficient precision for pupils to work independently.
• Occasional inconsistencies in teaching delivery remain.
• The personal development programme needs further embedding so pupils consistently demonstrate mutual respect and tolerance.
• Bullying occurs occasionally, and leaders need to continue actively addressing incidents.
• Some pupils do not model respect and tolerance as well as others.
• Further effort is needed to secure a more efficient pencil grip.

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 Firthmoor Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Firthmoor 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 Firthmoor Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.4% 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, 22.9% of pupils at Firthmoor Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 2024–25 Firthmoor Primary School received £7,728 and spent £7,746 for each of its 276 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £462,000 (£1,677 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Northern Lights Learning Trust, income was £8,188 and spending £8,299 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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All schools in Darlington · Darlington local authority: places and applications

Firthmoor Primary School is part of Northern Lights Learning Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• St Aidan's Church of England Academy Darlington
• Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• Tilery Primary School Stockton-On-Tees
• St Peter's Elwick Church of England Primary School Hartlepool
• Grange Primary School Hartlepool
• Hart Primary School Hartlepool
• St Helen's Primary School Hartlepool
• Benedict Biscop Church of England Academy Sunderland
• Venerable Bede Church of England Academy Sunderland
• Holley Park Academy Washington

What is Firthmoor Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Firthmoor Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Firthmoor Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Firthmoor Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Firthmoor Primary School have?

Firthmoor Primary School has 279 pupils on roll.

What age range does Firthmoor Primary School cover?

Firthmoor Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Firthmoor Primary School?

Firthmoor Primary School is at Ingleby Moor Crescent, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 4RW.