Shield Row Primary School

About Shield Row Primary School

Shield Row Primary School in County Durham holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a significant turnaround from its previous inspection in 2014 when it was judged Inadequate. The most recent graded inspection in 2018 awarded Good across the board for overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and early years provision, and a subsequent ungraded inspection in November 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. On the most informative exam metric available, Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show that 52% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits below the local authority average of 62% for primary schools, and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally, ranking 127th out of 170 schools in County Durham. However, the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects.

Breaking down the KS2 results, reading is the strongest area: 74% of pupils reached the expected standard, with an average scaled score of 104, and 22% achieved the higher standard. In maths, 70% met the expected standard, with an average score of 102, though only 9% reached the higher standard. Writing tells a similar story, with 61% at expected and 9% at the higher level. No pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects combined. The school’s overall ranking score of 52 reflects this mixed performance. It is worth noting that the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage: 36.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to a national average of around 23%, which provides important context for these outcomes.

Shield Row is a smaller-than-average primary, with 170 pupils against a capacity of 210, and it offers a nursery provision for children from age three. The school was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 33 applications for 25 places, with all 25 first-preference families offered a spot. Facilities include a library, gymnasium, forest school, sensory room, and playing fields, with clubs ranging from chess and book club to gardening and eco club. The school lists a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and physical disabilities. For families prioritising a school that has demonstrably improved its Ofsted rating and offers strong reading outcomes alongside a wide array of enrichment activities, Shield Row is a solid local option, particularly for those whose children may benefit from its inclusive SEND support.

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