School Chooser

Cassop Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil114 pupilsNurseryDurhamCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
30
Below
similar schools
Likely range 13 to 60, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 15% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1153%England 63%
Attendance93.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places62 spare114 pupils, 176 places
Pupils per teacher22.2School workforce census

Cassop Primary School is a council school in Durham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 114 pupils and room for 176. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 30 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Cassop, Durham, DH6 4RA0191 377 0293cassop.durham.sch.ukMrs Lisa Curtis headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 March 2023, 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
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

15 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1153%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 80%80%20172018: 95%95%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 76%76%20232024: 64%64%20242025: 53%53%2025
Since 2017: -27%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested152221181915
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths53%64%76%67%95%80%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%5%5%11%5%7%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0105.0107.0103.0109.0107.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0105.0106.0105.0108.0107.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0107.0106.0111.0106.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard73%77%90%67%95%87%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard80%82%81%89%100%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%73%81%89%95%80%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.3-0.5+4.4+4.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.1+0.8+4.5+4.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%71%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged86%88%

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. None of the gaps is 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 11Boys vs girls
67%44%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 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 places103 pupils for 147 places, 2024/25
70% full

44 places were empty (30% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 19% 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 roll114Census January 2026
Places17665% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%24 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.05 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)18%£29,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls61 / 53
White British pupils97%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (8), emotional and mental health (8), Specific learning difficulty (8), language and communications needs (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll114123128142138132
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%18%15%19%21%24%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%3%2%2%1%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%20%21%25%22%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%5.4%6.0%6.7%3.3%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.6%4.1%4.2%5.6%2.3%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.3%1.8%1.1%1.0%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.9%12.8%19.1%20.2%8.7%6.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.03.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.0full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher22.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£58,759
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.22024/25

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£8,780England £7,738. Total £1.0m
Income per pupil£8,356England £7,697. Total £969k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,426England £3,480
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £109k, £937 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£49kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£8,780spent 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 m3412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate76 per 1,000 people16% lower than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop50 mSchool, 4 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
Kelloe Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles124Not inspected91Compare
Bowburn Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles438Good 2024Compare
Thornley AcademyAcademy2.1 miles124Good 20248Compare
Coxhoe Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles309Report card 202689Compare
Wheatley Hill Community Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles445Good 202365Compare
St Godrics Catholic Primary School, ThornleyAcademy2.4 miles75Not inspected91Compare
Deaf Hill Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles154Good 202277Compare
Ludworth Primary SchoolCouncil2.5 miles84Good 202327Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Cassop Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats15%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 30 is 24 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 55 · highest 96100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Cassop Primary 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
St William's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles125Good 202452Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, MurtonRoman Catholic6.5 miles127Good 202368Compare
Stanley (Crook) Primary SchoolCouncil10.6 miles128Good 202456Compare
Escomb Primary SchoolCouncil10.9 miles160Report card 202640Compare
Kibblesworth AcademyAcademy13.2 miles126Good 202274Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 30 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 30% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 13 to 60. 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%in line
+0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 15 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.07
DfE progress measure; 15 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.16
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.05
2024/25; 95 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 15 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 Cassop Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Cassop Primary School scores 30 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 13 to 60, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Cassop Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Cassop Primary School good at its last full inspection on 28 March 2023.

How good are Cassop Primary 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%. 7% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Cassop Primary School have?

114 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 176 places, so it is 65% full.

Is Cassop Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 44 places were empty in 2024/25 (30% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Cassop Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Cassop Primary School?

The average class had 22.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Cassop, Durham, DH6 4RA
Telephone
0191 377 0293
Website
www.cassop.durham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Lisa Curtis
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Bowburn & Coxhoe
Constituency
Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
114075 · LAESTAB 8402362 · UKPRN 10072166

Where these figures come from