Vane Road Primary School

Vane Road Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school within the Lingfield Education Trust, serving a community with above-average deprivation. The school has been judged as providing the expected standard of education across all areas, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development. Safeguarding standards are met. Pupils achieve well, with outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 consistently above national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils. Attendance is high and persistent absence is low. Behaviour is calm and pupils feel safe. The early years provision, including the new Nursery, is a notable strength, with a strong focus on language and vocabulary. Leaders have successfully developed the curriculum in phonics, writing and mathematics, and staff benefit from effective professional development. The school is inclusive, with strong support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. However, the curriculum in some foundation subjects is less well embedded, and checks on pupils' learning are not always used consistently to address gaps. Additionally, pupils' understanding of major world faiths is not as secure as it could be. Leaders are aware of these areas and are taking action to address them. Overall, this is a good school that is continuing to improve.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well, with attainment in reading, writing and mathematics above national averages by the end of Year 6.
• Disadvantaged pupils attain well, often exceeding national averages for disadvantaged pupils, particularly in mathematics.
• Attendance is consistently above the national average, with few pupils persistently absent.
• Pupils behave calmly and respectfully; bullying is rare and dealt with quickly.
• The early years provision is strong, with a well-taught curriculum and a successful new Nursery class.
• Reading and phonics are taught effectively, with pupils achieving above national averages in the phonics screening check.
• Leaders have developed the curriculum successfully in phonics, writing and mathematics, and have renewed the early years curriculum.
• Teachers benefit from high-quality training that strengthens their subject knowledge.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported, with tailored provision and additional spaces to meet their needs.
• The personal development programme is coherent and varied, with extensive extra-curricular opportunities, including sports and careers education.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school's strengths and priorities, and governance is effective.
• Staff feel supported and workload is considered; there is a positive and open culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Checks on pupils' learning are not consistently used to identify gaps in understanding and inform subsequent teaching.
• The curriculum in some foundation subjects is less well defined and pupils' knowledge is less embedded.
• Pupils' knowledge of major world faiths is not as secure as it might be.
• Teachers do not consistently use assessment information to move pupils' learning forward effectively.
• Curriculums for foundation subjects need to be more ambitious, well-sequenced and effectively taught so that attainment matches other 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 Vane Road Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.9% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Vane Road 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 Vane Road Primary School had 24.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.5% 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, 11.5% of pupils at Vane Road Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Vane Road Primary School received £6,431 and spent £6,498 for each of its 414 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £198,000 (£479 per pupil).

Across all 24 schools of Lingfield Education Trust, income was £6,737 and spending £6,759 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 Newton Aycliffe · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Vane Road Primary School is part of Lingfield Education Trust, which runs 26 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodham Burn Community Primary School and Nursery Newton Aycliffe
• Prince Bishops Community Primary School Bishop Auckland
• West Park Academy Darlington
• Northwood Primary School Darlington
• Mount Pleasant Primary School Darlington
• Corporation Road Community Primary School Darlington
• Heathfield Primary School Darlington
• Hurworth Primary School Darlington
• Preston Primary School Stockton-On-Tees
• Durham Lane Primary School Stockton-On-Tees

What is Vane Road Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Vane Road Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Vane Road Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Vane Road Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Vane Road Primary School have?

Vane Road Primary School has 427 pupils on roll.

What age range does Vane Road Primary School cover?

Vane Road Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Vane Road Primary School?

Vane Road Primary School is at Vane Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 5RH.