Heighington Church of England Primary School

About Heighington Church of England Primary School

Heighington Church of England Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in 2019, and an ungraded visit in 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained. The school’s strongest academic indicator is its Key Stage 2 performance in reading, writing and maths combined. In the 2023/24 academic year, 68% of pupils reached the expected standard across all three subjects, which is comfortably above the Darlington local authority average of 59%. That puts the school 8th out of 26 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the top third locally. The school also ranks in the top 50% nationally on this measure. Looking at individual subjects, reading is a particular strength: the average scaled score was 109, and 43% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, compared with 19% in maths and 22% in writing.

The Ofsted breakdown from the 2019 graded inspection gives a consistent picture: every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — was rated Good. That’s a shift from the school’s previous inspection in 2007, when it was judged Outstanding across the board. The school has a Church of England character and is led by headteacher Carly Stonier. With 256 pupils on roll against a capacity of 266, it is close to full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 10.5%, which is below the national average. Parent views, collected between September 2024 and September 2025, are largely positive: 91% of the 76 respondents would recommend the school, and 93% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

The school offers a nursery provision for children from age 3, and its facilities include a library, sensory room, playing fields, art studios, an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, cricket, tennis, cross country, dance, netball and swimming, while clubs range from drama and science club to choir and book club. For children with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. However, the parent view data on SEND support is more mixed: 40% of respondents disagreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, while 30% strongly agreed. The school was oversubscribed for 2025/26 reception places, with 51 applications for 29 places and 27 offers made to first-preference families. This is a solid, well-regarded village primary that suits families looking for strong academic foundations in a Church of England setting.

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