Pittington Primary School

About Pittington Primary School

Pittington Primary School sits in County Durham, a local authority with 208 primary schools, and it has carved out a strong position for itself. Ranked 18th in the county, the school sits comfortably in the top 25% of its peers, with a ranking score of 81 based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. The top-performing schools in the area — Montalbo Nursery & Primary School, Shincliffe CofE (Controlled) Primary School and Cestria Primary School — all score higher, but Pittington is not far behind. The school is led by headteacher Laura Wigham and caters for 204 pupils aged 2 to 11, operating just under its capacity of 210. It is a mixed, non-religious state primary with no sixth form but with nursery provision on site. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2022, confirmed that the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across both its graded inspections.

Academically, Pittington performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 81% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a County Durham average of just 62%. That puts the school in the top 11% nationally and the top 11% within the North East region. Reading and writing were particular strengths, with 95% of pupils reaching the expected standard in each, and 33% reaching the higher standard in reading. In maths, 81% hit the expected standard and 33% achieved the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 106 in maths, both above the national benchmark. The school does not publish progress scores for these subjects, so it is not possible to say how much value it adds relative to pupils' starting points, but the raw attainment figures are strong.

The school is clearly popular with local families. For 2025/26 admissions, Pittington received 38 applications for just 18 places, making it oversubscribed by a ratio of 2.11 to one. All 18 first-preference applicants were offered a place, but the overall demand suggests competition for spots. Facilities include a library, playing fields, art studios, a forest school, music rooms and a chapel, and the school runs clubs such as choir, science club, drama and chess. Sports on offer include athletics, swimming, dance, cross country, gymnastics and netball. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for strong academic outcomes in a well-subscribed village primary with a wide range of enrichment activities and a clear commitment to inclusive support.

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