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Chester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School

General Information

  • Address: Hilda Park, Chester le Street, DH2 2JT – View on map
  • Phone: 01913882328
  • Website: Visit school website
  • Headteacher: Mrs Rachel Butler
  • Age range: 0-11 years
  • Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 27 families put it first for 27 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. 2 of the 27 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 9 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
  • Sixth form: No
  • Intake: Mixed
  • Religious character: Church of England
  • Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

260 pupils out of 418 places Plenty of room
  • Pupils eligible for free school meals: 58
  • % eligible for free school meals: 23.7%
  • Pupil mix: 1 in 10 (similar to the County Durham average)
  • English as an additional language: 2% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

  • Teacher turnover: 20% a year (County Durham 13.1%, typical in England 13.9%)
  • Where they went: about 13% moved to another school, 87% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
  • Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

Across County Durham: suspensions by reason

  • Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 12 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
  • Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
  • Suspensions for bullying: 5 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
  • Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 3 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
  • Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in County Durham, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

  • Overall absence: 6.6%
  • Persistently absent pupils: 14.3%
  • Data year: 2024/25

SEN

  • Resourced provision for AutismModerate learning difficultiesSpecific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) 16 places · 15 pupils at the last count

Places are usually for children with an EHC Plan and are arranged through the council, not the normal school application.

  • Pupils on SEN Support: 21.2%
  • Pupils with an EHC Plan: 7.7%
  • Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

  • Moderate learning difficulty: 20 pupils
  • Speech, language and communications needs: 18 pupils
  • Social, emotional and mental health: 13 pupils
  • Other difficulty or disability: 3 pupils
  • Multi-sensory impairment: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

  • Speech, language and communications needs: 5 pupils
  • Social, emotional and mental health: 4 pupils
  • Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
  • Physical disability: 2 pupils
  • Moderate learning difficulty: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

Parent score - no reviews yet –
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Educational Attainment

Ofsted report card December 2025

Ofsted's new report cards grade each part of school life separately, instead of giving one overall word.

  • Safeguarding Met
  • Inclusion Expected standard
  • Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
  • Achievement Needs attention
  • Attendance and behaviour Expected standard
  • Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard
  • Early years Expected standard
  • Leadership and governance Expected standard

Before this, under the old system, Ofsted rated the school Good (2021). The report card above replaces that grade.

Year 6 SATs results

  • Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 66% (England 62%)
  • Reached the higher standard: 5% (England 8%)
  • Compared with the area: 4 percentage points above the County Durham average (62%)
  • Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 58% against an expected 59%)
  • 3-year average (expected standard): 58%
  • Expected standard by subject: Reading 71% · Writing 76% · Maths 74% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 66%
  • Average test scores: reading 105, maths 104
  • Based on: 38 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

SATs results over time

2022/232023/242024/2565%44%66%
This schoolCounty Durham averageEngland Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 4 percentage points above the County Durham average (62%).

View full Ofsted inspection report

Financials

Spending per pupil: £7,928 (2024-25)

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)