Witton-le-Wear Primary School

Witton-le-Wear Primary School is a highly aspirational and caring school where pupils feel safe, known well and part of a family. This was its first routine inspection since the pandemic and its first section 5 inspection under the current framework, following its conversion to academy status within the Advance Learning Partnership. Inspectors found the quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision outstanding, with behaviour and attitudes and personal development good; safeguarding arrangements are effective. The curriculum is ambitious and well delivered in mixed-age classes, staff are well trained, and pupils with SEND receive timely, personalised support and achieve exceptionally well. Reading is a clear strength, early years provision gives children an exceptional start, attendance is excellent, and pupils benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities. Leadership and governance are strong, with a rigorous focus on making sure no child is left behind. The main area for improvement is behaviour. The school's recently renewed approaches to supporting pupils' behaviour are not yet fully embedded, so staff approaches are not always consistent and some pupils are sometimes unclear about how to meet the school's high expectations. The school should continue to develop consistency in behaviour management.

Strengths

• Highly aspirational and caring culture where pupils feel safe and belong
• Ambitious curriculum well managed across mixed-age classes
• Strong curriculum delivery supported by effective staff training
• Pupils with SEND receive timely, personalised support and flourish
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well and remember learning in depth
• Reading is prioritised, with pupils developing genuine love of books
• Early years provision gives children an exceptional start
• Excellent attendance approach understood by pupils and families
• Wide range of opportunities builds pupils' citizenship and independence
• Leadership, governance and trust working are exceptionally strong
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Recently renewed behaviour approaches are not yet well embedded across the school
• Staff approaches to behaviour management are not consistently applied
• Some pupils are not clear how to meet the school's high expectations for behaviour

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 Witton-le-Wear Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.3% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Witton-le-Wear 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 Witton-le-Wear Primary School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.6% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Witton-le-Wear Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 Witton-le-Wear Primary School received £7,424 and spent £7,396 for each of its 111 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £47,000 (£425 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 Bishop Auckland · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Witton-le-Wear Primary School is part of Advance Learning Partnership, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Howden-le-Wear Primary School Crook
• Hunwick Primary School Crook
• Hartside Primary Academy Crook
• Peases West Academy Crook
• Bishop Barrington Academy Bishop Auckland
• Copeland Road Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Parkside Academy Crook
• Woodhouse Primary Academy Bishop Auckland
• Wolsingham School Bishop Auckland
• Whitworth Park Academy Spennymoor

What is Witton-le-Wear Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Witton-le-Wear Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Witton-le-Wear Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Witton-le-Wear Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Witton-le-Wear Primary School have?

Witton-le-Wear Primary School has 114 pupils on roll.

What age range does Witton-le-Wear Primary School cover?

Witton-le-Wear Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Witton-le-Wear Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Witton-le-Wear Primary School?

Witton-le-Wear Primary School is at Witton-le-Wear Primary School, St James Gardens, Witton-le-Wear, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 0BG.