Chester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School

About Chester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Chester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School is a Church of England primary for children aged 2 to 11, currently home to 276 pupils against a capacity of 418. That means the school is running at roughly two-thirds full, which is notable given the clear demand signal from its admissions data. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 48 applications for 31 places, with all 31 first-preference applicants offered a spot — an oversubscription ratio of 1.55. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 27.8%, well above the national average and a strong indicator of the demographic profile of the local community. The school is led by headteacher Rachel Butler and sits within the County Durham local authority, where only 8 out of 208 primary schools hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. Chester-Le-Street itself was rated Good in its most recent graded inspection in 2021, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2017.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year place it in a challenging position within County Durham. Just 44% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the local authority average of 62%. That puts the school at rank 144 out of 170 primaries in the county, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally by this metric. Breaking the figures down, 71% reached the expected standard in writing, 59% in reading and 51% in maths, with average scaled scores of 102 for reading and 100 for maths. The proportion achieving the higher standard across all three subjects was 10%, with 20% hitting that level in reading, 12% in maths and 10% in writing. The school does not publish Progress 8 scores for its KS2 cohort, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to starting points, but the raw attainment figures are clearly below the LA benchmark.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a gymnasium, music rooms, a forest school area and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports provision covers swimming, gymnastics, cricket and cross country, while extracurricular options include science club, choir and film club. For families with children who have additional needs, the SEND provision is notably broad, covering moderate and severe learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment and a resourced provision. The school also has a nursery for two-year-olds, which may appeal to parents looking for a single-site journey from early years through to Year 6. Given the below-average KS2 outcomes, this is a school that may suit families who prioritise the inclusive, church-based environment and the wide-ranging SEND support over headline academic rankings, and who are comfortable with the current attainment picture.

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