Classpot

Hamsterley Primary School

County Durham, DL13 3QFPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
3 Good · 1 Requires improvement
Jul 2025
KS2 Results
14%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
7 1st-choice / 7 places
Ranking
#13,621
of 13,686 nationally

About Hamsterley Primary School

Hamsterley Primary School is a small state primary in County Durham, with just 31 pupils on roll against a capacity of 49, meaning the school is operating at roughly 63% of its maximum. That spare capacity is notable because the school was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 10 applications for 7 places and offering all 7 to first-preference families. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 16.1%, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools. The school is co-educational, non-denominational, and serves children aged 4 to 11. Leadership is shared by co-executive headteachers Sarah Hodgkinson and Richard Sains. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025, the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, though inspectors judged behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all to be Good. The previous inspection in 2019 had rated the school Good overall, so the latest outcome represents a downgrade in the overall effectiveness judgement.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressHamsterley Primary School, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 3QF
HeadteacherSarah Hodgkinson and Richard Sains (Co Executive Headteachers)
Local AuthorityCounty Durham
Number of Pupils31
Free School Meals (FSM)16.1%
School Capacity31 / 49 (63% full)

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

8 Jul 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 18 Sept 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
ICT SuiteDining HallLibraryPlaying FieldsForest SchoolGymnasiumArt StudiosChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

10

Sports

TennisAthleticsSwimmingCross CountryGymnasticsNetballCricket

Clubs & Activities

CodingChessChoir

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

Speech & LanguagePhysical

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Hamsterley Primary School

Hamsterley Primary School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.