Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School

Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School is a small Church of England primary school in the Melrose Learning Trust. It received an overall grade of Strong standard in its June 2026 inspection, with safeguarding standards met. The school is particularly strong in attendance and behaviour, and in personal development and wellbeing, where a caring Christian ethos, excellent pastoral support, and a rich enrichment programme help pupils feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. Across achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and leadership and governance, the school meets the expected standard. Pupils achieve in line with national outcomes by the end of Year 6, early reading is taught effectively, and the early years provision provides a strong foundation, especially in vocabulary development. Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and priorities, and the trust provides effective support. The main area for development is the strategic monitoring and evaluation of interventions. While interventions are in place, they are not consistently planned or delivered through a rigorous whole-school approach, and leaders should ensure they have the desired impact on pupils' outcomes. Other than this, the report identifies no significant concerns.

Strengths

• Strong attendance with very low persistent absence.
• Calm, positive behaviour and effective self-regulation support.
• Strong pastoral care and a nurturing Christian ethos.
• Rich enrichment programme including clubs, residential trips, and outdoor learning.
• Effective early reading and phonics teaching.
• Broad, well-sequenced curriculum with clear knowledge and vocabulary.
• Inclusive community with good support for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Effective leadership, governance, and trust support.
• Positive relationships with parents and families.
• Pupils achieve in line with national outcomes by the end of Year 6.
• Early years provides a strong start, particularly in vocabulary development.

Areas for Improvement

• Strategic monitoring and evaluation of interventions is not yet rigorous or consistently applied across the school.

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 Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School attended 97.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Esh CofE (Aided) 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 Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School had 18.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.4% 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, 16.3% of pupils at Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School received £7,816 and spent £8,289 for each of its 99 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £36,000 (-£361 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Melrose Learning Trust, income was £6,415 and spending £6,505 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 Durham · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School is part of Melrose Learning Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• St Hild's College Church of England Primary School, Durham Durham
• Rosa Street Primary and Nursery Academy Spennymoor
• Cleves Cross Primary and Nursery School Academy Ferryhill
• Easington CofE Primary School Peterlee
• Hutton Henry CofE (Controlled) Primary School Hartlepool
• Wynyard Church of England Primary School Wynyard
• High Coniscliffe CofE Primary School Darlington
• St Mary's Cockerton Church of England Primary School Darlington
• Abbey Junior School Darlington
• Abbey Infants' School Darlington

What is Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School have?

Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School has 98 pupils on roll.

What age range does Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School cover?

Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School?

Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School is at Front Street, Esh, Durham, County Durham, DH7 9QR.