Bloemfontein Primary School

Bloemfontein Primary has shown substantial improvement since its last inspection, moving from an inadequate rating to good in all areas. The school environment is safe and supportive, with dedicated staff who maintain high expectations for both behavior and academic achievement. Pupils demonstrate pride in their school and engage positively with a well-structured curriculum, which emphasizes reading and mathematics. They benefit from a variety of enriching experiences and learn about essential values in modern Britain.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and well cared for at school.
• High expectations for learning and behavior are consistently met.
• Strong emphasis on reading, with effective phonics instruction.
• Curriculum in mathematics is well-designed and encourages deep understanding.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is timely and effective.
• Engaging early years provision that fosters eagerness to learn.

Areas for Improvement

• Some older pupils struggle with handwriting formation.
• Outdoor learning environments need improvement to match indoor standards.

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 Bloemfontein Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.2% 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, 4.5% of pupils at Bloemfontein 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 Bloemfontein Primary School had 17.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.2% 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, 15.0% of pupils at Bloemfontein Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.1% 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 Bloemfontein Primary School received £10,385 and spent £9,302 for each of its 129 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £25,000 (-£194 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Stanley Learning Partnership, income was £8,992 and spending £8,975 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 Stanley · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Bloemfontein Primary School is part of Stanley Learning Partnership, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• South Stanley Junior School Stanley
• South Stanley Infant and Nursery School Stanley
• Greenland Community Primary School Stanley
• East Stanley School Stanley
• Annfield Plain Junior School Stanley
• Annfield Plain Infant School Stanley
• Burnhope Primary School Durham
• Collierley Nursery and Primary School Stanley
• Langley Park Primary School Durham
• Benfieldside Primary School Consett

What is Bloemfontein Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bloemfontein Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Bloemfontein Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bloemfontein Primary School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Bloemfontein Primary School have?

Bloemfontein Primary School has 127 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bloemfontein Primary School cover?

Bloemfontein Primary School for pupils aged 0 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bloemfontein Primary School?

Bloemfontein Primary School is at The Middles, Craghead, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 6AG.