Easington CofE Primary School

About Easington CofE Primary School

Easington CofE Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 47 applications for just 26 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.81. Every one of those 26 first-preference applicants was offered a place, which suggests that for those who put it top of their list, it works out. The school is a Church of England primary in County Durham, with a current roll of 156 pupils – slightly above its official capacity of 147. Around 22% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is a touch above the national average. The headteacher is John Appleby, and the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2019, rated it Good overall, with leadership and management, early years provision, and behaviour all judged Good too. The inspection was an ungraded visit that confirmed the school remains Good.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 46% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is well below the local authority average of 62%, and it places the school 142nd out of 170 primary schools in County Durham – in the bottom half of the league table. On individual subjects, results were stronger: 69% met expectations in reading and in writing, and 62% in maths. The average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths, both close to the national benchmark of 100. A smaller proportion of pupils reached the higher standard: 23% in reading and writing, and 15% in maths. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw attainment figures suggest there is room for improvement compared with peers in the area.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of this size, including an ICT suite, sports hall, sensory room, art studios, forest school, music rooms, playing fields and a chapel. There is a good variety of clubs – science, coding, drama, art, film and choir – and sports on offer include football, gymnastics, dance, swimming, cricket, cross country and tennis. For children with additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With oversubscription running at nearly two applicants per place, it is a school that local parents clearly want. It would suit families who value a Church of England setting and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are also aware that academic outcomes are currently below the County Durham average.

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