Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery

About Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery

Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery is a popular choice among local families, with 17 first-preference applications for its 17 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, meaning every family who put it first secured a spot. The school was oversubscribed overall, receiving 26 applications for those 17 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.53. This suggests a solid local reputation, and that’s backed up by parent sentiment: in its most recent Ofsted ungraded inspection in November 2023, the school was confirmed to remain Good, a rating it has held consistently across both its graded and ungraded inspections. With 154 pupils on roll against a capacity of 119, the school is clearly operating above its official limit, which often indicates strong demand from families in the County Durham area.

Academically, Oakley Cross presents a mixed picture. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 43% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is well below the local authority average of 62%. The school ranks 151st out of 170 primary schools in County Durham on this measure, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally. However, individual subject scores tell a slightly different story: the average scaled scores in reading and maths both sit at 103, which is in line with the national average of 100. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in maths was 17%, and in writing it was also 17%, while reading higher attainment was 13%. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw attainment figures suggest a school where many pupils start from a lower baseline.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, art studios, sensory room, sports hall and even a chapel, alongside clubs such as eco club, choir, coding and drama. Sports provision covers tennis, athletics, swimming, rounders, dance and cross country. Oakley Cross also has a nursery provision for children aged two and above, and its SEND support covers moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. With 41.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. This is a school that suits families who value a strong local community feel and a broad enrichment offer, but who are also realistic about academic outcomes being below the county average.

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