School Chooser

Bowesfield Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil337 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubStockton-on-Tees
School Chooser Score
21
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 42
Out of 100. Better than 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2024
Reached the expected level at 1156%England 63%
Attendance92.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families57%Far more than most schools
Places83 spare337 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher16.9School workforce census

Bowesfield Primary School is a council school in Stockton-on-Tees for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 337 pupils and room for 420. About 57 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 21 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Northcote Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3JB01642 601890bowesfieldprimary.org.ukMrs Joanne Vollands-Ross headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 27 February 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1156%
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 score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 52%52%20172018: 43%43%20182019: 52%52%20192023: 48%48%20232024: 45%45%20242025: 56%56%2025
Since 2017: +4%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Stockton-on-TeesEngland
Pupils tested524031252327
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths56%45%48%52%43%52%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%3%0%8%9%11%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0100.0100.0103.0102.0103.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0102.0101.0105.0100.0104.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0103.0102.0107.0103.0105.0105.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard71%45%52%56%48%63%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard60%75%71%68%65%70%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%68%65%60%65%56%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.5+0.9-0.1-1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.3+2.1+0.9+0.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged47%43%47%50%21%28%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged79%47%50%57%78%100%

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.

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 4 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
47%79%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
64%46%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
54%56%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 4 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 places300 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
71% full

120 places were empty (29% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 15% since 2021/22.

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 Stockton-on-Tees 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 roll337Census January 2026
Places42080% full
Pupils from low-income families50%57% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English59%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support26%89 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%14 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.115 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)52%£244,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls170 / 167
White British pupils13%

Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 5 pupils, for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Stockton-on-Tees with social, emotional and mental health provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 21.9 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (54), Moderate learning difficulty (26), emotional and mental health (17), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll337339304283295279
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals50%46%42%47%48%47%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language59%60%63%69%66%67%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support22%22%19%22%23%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school29.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.6%7.3%7.0%7.2%4.4%4.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.6%3.8%3.7%3.9%2.4%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.0%3.5%3.3%3.3%2.1%2.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence29.2%25.5%23.2%23.3%14.8%14.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.30.00.01.02.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.7full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher16.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,227
Teachers who left in the year6%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher16.32024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,167England £7,738. Total £2.3m
Income per pupil£7,104England £7,697. Total £2.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,583England £3,480
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £130k, £402 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£20kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,167spent 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 m1,17712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate152 per 1,000 people67% higher than the England average
Typical house price£178,000Stockton-on-Tees
Nearest bus stop180 mBramley Parade, 12 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
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, StocktonAcademy270 m213Good 202420Compare
Oxbridge Lane Primary SchoolAcademy520 m243Good 2021Compare
Mill Lane Primary SchoolCouncil910 m252Good 202325Compare
Hartburn Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles603Good 202382Compare
The Oak Tree AcademyAcademy1.0 miles216Good 201985Compare
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Catholic AcademyAcademy1.0 miles404Outstanding 202387Compare
St Bede's Catholic AcademyAcademy1.0 miles231Report card 202581Compare
Mandale Mill Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles332Good 2020Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bowesfield Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats31%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 21 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 32 · highest 85100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 21 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 21% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 42. 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
-0.20
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 52 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.03
DfE progress measure; 52 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.04
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.20
2024/25; 295 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.07
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 52 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 Bowesfield Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Bowesfield Primary School scores 21 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 42, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Bowesfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Bowesfield Primary School good at its last full inspection on 27 February 2024.

How good are Bowesfield Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 56% 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 Bowesfield Primary School have?

337 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 80% full.

Is Bowesfield Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 120 places were empty in 2024/25 (29% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Bowesfield Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bowesfield Primary School?

The average class had 21.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Bowesfield Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has sen unit for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Bowesfield Primary 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
Northcote Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3JB
Telephone
01642 601890
Website
www.bowesfieldprimary.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Joanne Vollands-Ross
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
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Stockton-on-Tees
Ward
Ropner
Constituency
Stockton North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
111540 · LAESTAB 8082032 · UKPRN 10068854

Where these figures come from