Nettlesworth Primary School

About Nettlesworth Primary School

Nettlesworth Primary School is a state primary in County Durham, a local authority where just eight of 208 primary schools currently hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school itself sits 79th in the LA’s rankings, placing it just inside the top half of its peers. Among the strongest performers in the same area are Montalbo Nursery & Primary School, Shincliffe CofE (Controlled) Primary School and Cestria Primary School, all of which rank higher on the same metric. Nettlesworth’s own ranking score of 65, based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, puts it at the 44th percentile within County Durham and the 46th percentile across the North East. The school is led by headteacher Donna Lee and caters for 103 pupils aged 4 to 11, operating below its capacity of 117. It is a mixed, non-religious school with no nursery or sixth form provision.

In its most recent graded inspection in 2014, Ofsted rated Nettlesworth as Good overall, with Good marks for leadership and management, early years provision and overall effectiveness. An ungraded inspection in July 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 65% of pupils achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, slightly above the County Durham average of 62%. Reading was a relative strength: 71% reached the expected standard and 35% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 106. In maths, 82% met the expected standard and 18% reached the higher standard, with an average score of 102. Writing saw 82% at the expected level and 24% at the higher level. Progress scores are not available for any subject, so it is not possible to compare how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, sports hall, library and art studios, alongside outdoor playing fields and a playground. Sports provision covers football, netball, cricket, gymnastics, rounders, cross country and swimming, while clubs range from coding and science to chess, art, choir and book club. Nettlesworth has formal SEND provision for autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Admissions for 2025/26 show the school is oversubscribed: 11 first-preference applications were made for 11 places, but total applications reached 22, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2:1. This suggests strong local demand, and families considering Nettlesworth should be aware that securing a place may require a first-preference application. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Framwellgate Moor Primary School, 3.2 km away.

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