Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School

About Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School

Parents at Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School are overwhelmingly positive, with 89% of respondents to the most recent Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. That figure comes from a survey period covering September 2024 to September 2025, with 38 responses. The school is also oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 8 total applications for just 6 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.33. All 6 first-preference applicants were offered a place. Looking at the survey detail, 94% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 95% felt their child is safe. On behaviour, 93% agreed the school ensures pupils are well behaved. The picture is slightly more mixed around SEND support: while 64% strongly agreed that children with SEND get the support they need, 27% strongly disagreed, which is a notable split worth investigating if your child has additional needs.

Academically, Stanhope Barrington sits comfortably above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 68% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a County Durham average of 62%. That places the school 63rd out of 208 primary schools in the local authority, putting it in the top third. Looking at individual subjects, 73% met the expected standard in both reading and writing, and 68% in maths. At the higher standard, 27% of pupils achieved above the expected level in reading, 18% in maths, and 5% in both writing and the combined measure. Average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 104 in maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, rated it Good across all areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a step down from its previous Outstanding rating in 2013, but the school remains solidly within the Good category.

The school is a Church of England primary for children aged 2 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It currently has 130 pupils against a capacity of 178, so there is some room for growth. Facilities include an ICT suite, library, music rooms, a sensory room, playing fields, an outdoor playground, a sports hall and a chapel. Sports on offer include athletics, tennis, netball and gymnastics, while clubs range from choir and gardening to book club and chess. The school's SEND provisions are broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to profound learning difficulties, speech and language needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With 22.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a mixed catchment. It suits families who value a strong Church of England ethos, a Good Ofsted rating, and a school where most parents are clearly happy to recommend it.

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