Hartside Primary Academy

Hartside Primary Academy is a friendly, caring school judged to be performing at a strong standard overall, with safeguarding standards met. It is part of the Advance Learning Partnership and serves 241 pupils, including nursery provision for two-year-olds, in an area with above-average deprivation. The early years, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing are particular strengths: leaders prioritise early years, invest in staff training, work closely with parents, and ensure disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Pupils generally achieve well and leave Year 6 with attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in line with national averages; disadvantaged pupils attain in line with or above disadvantaged pupils nationally. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is generally well structured, behaviour is positive, and attendance is broadly average. Leaders, governors and trustees have an accurate view of the school, trust support strengthens leadership capacity, staff value the focus on wellbeing, and parents are highly supportive. The main areas for continued improvement are phonics, where outcomes have been below national average in recent years and consistent teaching remains a priority; ensuring lesson activities consistently match learning intentions; embedding the attendance strategy, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, given that persistent absence was above national average in 2024/25; and using checks on pupils’ learning more sharply to secure consistently high standards across all classes and subjects.

Strengths

• Early years provision is strong, with high-quality teaching and a stimulating environment from age 2.
• Leaders prioritise the early years and invest in coaching and training for staff.
• Parents are treated as important partners through updates, reading initiatives and workshops.
• The curriculum is ambitious, flexible and well sequenced from the early years onwards.
• Children, including disadvantaged children and those with SEND, are fully included and effectively supported.
• Inclusion is strong, with pupils with SEND accessing learning alongside their peers and barriers removed.
• Mental health provision is a strength and forms part of the school’s universal offer.
• The pupil premium strategy is well designed and evaluated, with disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes in line with their peers.
• The personal development programme is an entitlement for all pupils and responsive to local and national issues.
• Pupils learn about racism, tolerance, respect, stereotypes, equality and fundamental British values.
• Pastoral support is effective, with therapy and counselling readily available.
• A broad range of clubs and musical tuition is available, with financial support ensuring access for all pupils.
• Pupils generally achieve well, with Year 6 attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in line with national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils attain in line with or above disadvantaged pupils nationally.
• Behaviour is well managed through high expectations, clear routines and inclusive approaches.
• Pupils feel safe, say bullying is rare and know trusted adults they can talk to.
• Attendance is broadly in line with national averages, and leaders identify patterns early.
• Curriculum and teaching are generally well structured, with clear explanations and effective modelling.
• Leaders provide effective coaching and prompt support when pupils find reading, writing or mathematics difficult.
• Leaders, governors and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school and provide effective support and challenge.
• Trust expertise strengthens leadership capacity and supports continued improvement.
• Staff value the focus on wellbeing and the breadth of training, coaching and professional support.
• Parents are highly supportive and report that their children are happy, safe and well cared for.
• Pupils take pride in leadership responsibilities, and their views are heard through councils and debate.

Areas for Improvement

• Phonics attainment has been below the national average in recent years, and consistently effective phonics teaching remains a priority.
• Some lesson activities do not match the learning intention, meaning some pupils develop less secure understanding than they could.
• Persistent absence was above the national average in 2024/25, and the attendance strategy needs to be fully embedded.
• The attendance strategy needs to secure intended impact, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Leaders should use detailed information from checks on pupils’ learning more effectively to ensure consistently high standards across the school.
• Teaching of the curriculum is not yet consistently strong across all classes and subjects.

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 Hartside Primary Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.9% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Hartside Primary 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 Hartside Primary Academy had 26.5 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, 16.2% of pupils at Hartside Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Hartside Primary Academy received £7,357 and spent £7,017 for each of its 229 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £588,000 (£2,566 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of Advance Learning Partnership, income was £8,477 and spending £8,506 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 Crook · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Hartside Primary Academy is part of Advance Learning Partnership, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Peases West Academy Crook
• Howden-le-Wear Primary School Crook
• Parkside Academy Crook
• Hunwick Primary School Crook
• Witton-le-Wear Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Bishop Barrington Academy Bishop Auckland
• New Brancepeth Primary Academy Durham
• Brandon Primary Academy Durham
• Wolsingham School Bishop Auckland
• Woodhouse Primary Academy Bishop Auckland

What is Hartside Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hartside Primary Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Hartside Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Hartside Primary Academy was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Hartside Primary Academy have?

Hartside Primary Academy has 241 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hartside Primary Academy cover?

Hartside Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Hartside Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hartside Primary Academy?

Hartside Primary Academy is at Hartside, Crook, County Durham, DL15 9NN.