Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law

Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School is a small, friendly Catholic primary in Tow Law and part of the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust. Inspectors found a nurturing family atmosphere where staff know pupils and families well, pupils feel safe and valued, and relationships are strong. Pupils respond well to the school’s high ambition, behave consistently well, and are polite and respectful. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive highly effective support and are fully included in school life. Early years provision is especially strong, and reading is a clear priority, with structured phonics and quick support for pupils who struggle. The curriculum has been reviewed recently and is carefully designed for mixed-age classes, with many opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning. However, the school recognises that the new two-year curriculum needs further embedding, and leaders do not yet have a full and accurate view of how well pupils are learning it. The mathematics curriculum has also been reviewed recently but is not yet fully embedded, and the school needs robust systems to identify when pupils are not progressing and to provide the support they need. Attendance is a school priority: some pupils do not attend regularly enough, and the school should continue working with families to ensure attendance strategies have a measurable impact. Leadership is clear and ambitious, with trustees and governors sharing the vision and holding leaders to account through support and challenge. Staff value the consideration given to their wellbeing and workload and are proud to work at the school. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was a graded inspection under the current framework, so no overall effectiveness grade was given; the previous inspection grade was good.

Strengths

• Nurturing family atmosphere with strong relationships and pupils who feel safe and valued
• High ambition for all pupils, who display positive attitudes to learning
• Highly effective support for pupils with SEND, who are fully included in school life
• Pupils behave consistently well and are polite and respectful
• Reading is a priority, with structured phonics and swift support for pupils who struggle
• Well-designed early years curriculum gets children off to a flying start
• Early years staff expertly extend children's language through varied opportunities
• A wide range of clubs, visits, trips and outdoor learning enhances pupils' experiences
• Effective personal, social and health education develops confidence, character and resilience
• Clear, ambitious leadership vision shared by trustees and governors
• Trustees and governors provide considered support and challenge
• Staff feel supported and value consideration for their wellbeing and workload
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• The new two-year curriculum is not yet fully embedded, and oversight of its impact is at an early stage
• The school does not yet have a full and accurate view of how well pupils are learning the new curriculum
• The recently adapted mathematics curriculum is not yet fully embedded
• Systems to identify pupils who are not progressing in mathematics and provide support need development
• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough and miss important learning
• Attendance strategies need to show measurable impact, with continued work with families

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 Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% 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, 2.6% of pupils at Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law 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 Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.5% 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, 21.7% of pupils at Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% 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 Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law received £8,190 and spent £9,465 for each of its 74 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £70,000 (£951 per pupil).

Across all 35 schools of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, income was £7,699 and spending £7,759 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 Bishop Auckland · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law is part of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, which runs 35 schools. The nearest others:

• St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Crook Crook
• Our Lady and St Thomas Catholic Primary School, Willington Crook
• St Chad's Catholic Primary School, Witton Park Bishop Auckland
• St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College Bishop Auckland
• St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland
• St Charles' Catholic Primary School, Tudhoe Spennymoor
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Coundon Bishop Auckland
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Newton Aycliffe
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle Barnard Castle

What is Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law last inspected by Ofsted?

Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law have?

Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law has 83 pupils on roll.

What age range does Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law cover?

Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 11% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law?

Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law is at Smith Street, Tow Law, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 4AU.