School Chooser

Annfield Plain Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedAcademy99 pupils Free breakfast clubStanleyCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
11
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 5 to 23, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 49% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2020
Reached the expected level at 1153%England 63%
Attendance94.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families58%Far more than most schools
Places69 spare99 pupils, 168 places
Pupils per teacher18.1School workforce census

Annfield Plain Junior School is a converter academy in Stanley for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 99 pupils and room for 168. About 58 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 11 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 49% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2020.

Front Street, Annfield Plain, Stanley, DH9 7ST01207 234531annfieldplainjuniors.co.ukMr Martyn Kelly headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 January 2020, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 13 October 2023 said: “School remains Good”.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
13 October 2023UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

30 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1153%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 39%39%20172018: 72%72%20182019: 51%51%20192023: 57%57%20232024: 53%53%20242025: 53%53%2025
Since 2017: +14%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested303430413636
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths53%53%57%51%72%39%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%9%20%7%14%14%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0103.0104.0100.0105.0103.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0101.0103.0103.0104.0102.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0104.0104.0106.0106.0104.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%68%63%56%78%56%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard60%62%63%66%83%56%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)77%76%70%78%92%81%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.9-4.4-0.7-2.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.2-2.5-1.1-3.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%35%42%42%80%22%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged56%79%67%59%69%56%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Annfield Plain Junior School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
50%56%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%57%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places110 pupils for 168 places, 2024/25
66% full

58 places were empty (35% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 20% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to County Durham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll99Census January 2026
Places16859% full
Pupils from low-income families58%58% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%23 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.84 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)53%£80,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls49 / 50
White British pupils89%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (9), language and communications needs (5), Specific learning difficulty (4), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Other difficulty or disability (3), Severe learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll99110122120140
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals58%55%55%48%50%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%9%5%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%27%19%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%5%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.7%6.0%5.8%7.0%4.8%4.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%4.7%4.8%6.3%3.7%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.3%1.1%0.7%1.1%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.6%16.7%19.7%25.7%19.5%10.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.62.50.81.40.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Annfield Plain Junior School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers5.5full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher18.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,939
Teachers who left in the year29%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,945England £7,128. Total £874k
Income per pupil£8,936England £7,587. Total £983k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,073England £3,405
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£14k, -£128 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£109kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,945spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m35012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate170 per 1,000 people87% higher than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop60 mTesco, 14 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Annfield Plain Infant SchoolAcademy230 m106Good 202469Compare
Catchgate Primary SchoolAcademy920 m206Good 202312Compare
Greenland Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.3 miles318Not inspected93Compare
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, DiptonAcademy1.5 miles141Good 202465Compare
South Stanley Junior SchoolAcademy1.5 miles146Good 202461Compare
South Stanley Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy1.5 miles113Not inspectedCompare
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, South MoorAcademy1.6 miles75Good 202413Compare
Collierley Nursery and Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles147Report card 202636Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Annfield Plain Junior School with the 45 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats49%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 11 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 11 · highest 72100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 45 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Annfield Plain Junior School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Bloemfontein Primary SchoolAcademy2.0 miles127Good 202449Compare
Highfield Community Primary SchoolCouncil4.5 miles112Good 202422Compare
Fellgate Primary SchoolAcademy11.8 miles130Good 202433Compare
Ludworth Primary SchoolCouncil13.3 miles84Good 202327Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 11 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 11% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 5 to 23. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.24
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection11% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 6.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.26
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.12
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 116 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Annfield Plain Junior School a good school?

The figures are weak. Annfield Plain Junior School scores 11 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 49% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 5 to 23, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Annfield Plain Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Annfield Plain Junior School good at its last full inspection on 28 January 2020. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Annfield Plain Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 53% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Annfield Plain Junior School have?

99 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 168 places, so it is 59% full.

Is Annfield Plain Junior School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 58 places were empty in 2024/25 (35% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Annfield Plain Junior School?

Pupils were in school 94.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Annfield Plain Junior School?

The average class had 24.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Annfield Plain Junior School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Front Street, Annfield Plain, Stanley, DH9 7ST
Telephone
01207 234531
Website
www.annfieldplainjuniors.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Martyn Kelly
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Stanley Learning Partnership (11 schools)
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Annfield Plain & Tanfield
Constituency
North Durham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148465 · LAESTAB 8402212 · UKPRN 10087715
Formerly
Annfield Plain Junior School

Where these figures come from