Acre Rigg Academy

Acre Rigg Academy continues to demonstrate good performance as a supportive and caring institution where pupils enjoy learning. The leadership is ambitious for all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), fostering a safe and nurturing environment. The curriculum is well-structured and designed to meet various learning needs, encouraging students to actively participate and engage in their education. The school excels in creating strong relationships between staff and pupils, which enhances the learning experience and supports personal development.

Strengths

• Well-ordered and well-designed curriculum meeting the needs of all pupils.
• Teachers have secure subject expertise and employ effective strategies for teaching.
• Strong emphasis on reading with well-trained staff and ample opportunities for pupils.
• Effective support for personal development and emotional well-being of students.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils foster a cooperative learning environment.

Areas for Improvement

• At times, pupils are not moved on to new learning promptly, affecting their progression.

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 Academy attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.7% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Acre Rigg Academy 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 Academy had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.3% 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, 38.5% of pupils at Acre Rigg Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Acre Rigg Academy received £7,386 and spent £7,082 for each of its 256 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £447,000 (£1,746 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Tudhoe Learning Trust, income was £7,731 and spending £7,710 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Peterlee · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Acre Rigg Academy is part of Tudhoe Learning Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Dene House Primary School Peterlee
• South Hetton Primary Durham
• Tudhoe Colliery Primary School Spennymoor
• Victoria Lane Academy Bishop Auckland
• Stephenson Way Academy and Nursery School Newton Aycliffe
• Shield Row Primary School Stanley

What is Acre Rigg Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Acre Rigg Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Acre Rigg Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Acre Rigg Academy was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Acre Rigg Academy have?

Acre Rigg Academy has 257 pupils on roll.

What age range does Acre Rigg Academy cover?

Acre Rigg Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Acre Rigg Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Acre Rigg Academy?

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