School Chooser

Esh Winning Academy

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy287 pupilsNurseryDurhamCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
25
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 53, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 43% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, May 2023
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance93.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families42%Far more than most schools
Places63 spare287 pupils, 350 places
Pupils per teacher25.1School workforce census

Esh Winning Academy is a converter academy in Durham for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 287 pupils and room for 350. About 42 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 25 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 43% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

The Wynds, Esh Winning, Durham, DH7 9BE0191 373 4701eshwinning.wiseacademies.co.ukMrs Helen Anderson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 5 May 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1157%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
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: 65%65%20172018: 60%60%20182019: 53%53%20192023: 61%61%20232024: 44%44%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: -8%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024†2023†2019†2018†2017†County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested353636303023
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%44%61%53%60%65%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%0%14%7%0%9%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0103.0103.0102.0104.0103.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0101.0105.0104.0103.0104.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0103.0106.0106.0105.0106.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard66%69%64%63%77%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard66%61%78%77%77%74%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)63%61%75%80%70%70%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.5-0.7-1.8+1.2
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.6+0.0-0.7+1.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%26%59%46%53%62%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged75%77%63%59%69%70%

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 Esh Winning Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2024. 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. 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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
33%75%
Gap 42 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
53%63%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%6%
Gap 6 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 places240 pupils for 291 places, 2024/25
83% full

51 places were empty (18% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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 roll287Census January 2026
Places35082% full
Pupils from low-income families36%42% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%59 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.47 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils57%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)43%£156,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls155 / 132
White British pupils96%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 32.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (29), Moderate learning difficulty (19), language and communications needs (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (4), Vision impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll287295
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals36%37%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.1%7.8%6.6%6.9%4.3%4.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.5%6.5%5.7%5.9%3.8%4.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.2%0.9%1.1%0.5%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.6%29.0%16.9%20.6%8.6%10.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0

† These attendance figures are for Esh Winning Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2024. 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.

Teachers10.6full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher25.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£57,755
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.12024/25

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£7,007England £7,128. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£7,856England £7,587. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,867England £3,405
Money in reserve22%A lot put by: £472k, £1,699 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£236kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,007spent 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 m18912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate110 per 1,000 people21% higher than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop110 mCounty Primary School, 21 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 Michael's Catholic Primary School, Esh VillageAcademy1.7 miles203Good 202281Compare
Esh CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles98Good 202266Compare
New Brancepeth Primary AcademyAcademy2.3 miles109No overall grade 202489Compare
Stanley (Crook) Primary SchoolCouncil2.4 miles128Good 202456Compare
Langley Park Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles183Requires improvement 20245Compare
Silver Tree Primary School and NurseryCouncil2.7 miles201Good 202317Compare
Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Ushaw MoorAcademy2.7 miles98Requires improvement 20232Compare
Peases West AcademyAcademy3.1 miles126Good 202322Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Esh Winning Academy 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.

Beats43%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 25 is 7 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 31 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Esh Winning Academy, 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
King Street Primary SchoolCouncil6.2 miles224Good 202439Compare
Middlestone Moor AcademyAcademy6.5 miles265Report card 202653Compare
Bluebell Meadow Primary SchoolAcademy12.4 miles210Good 202341Compare
Wardley Primary SchoolCouncil14.3 miles292Report card 202662Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 25 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 25% 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 53. 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
-0.15
2025 results; 35 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 35 pupils
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.12
2024/25; 220 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 35 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 Esh Winning Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Esh Winning Academy scores 25 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 43% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 53, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Esh Winning Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Esh Winning Academy good at its last full inspection on 5 May 2023.

How good are Esh Winning Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Esh Winning Academy have?

287 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 350 places, so it is 82% full.

Is Esh Winning Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 51 places were empty in 2024/25 (18% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Esh Winning Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Esh Winning Academy?

The average class had 28.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 57% of classes 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
The Wynds, Esh Winning, Durham, DH7 9BE
Telephone
0191 373 4701
Website
eshwinning.wiseacademies.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Helen Anderson
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
WISE Academies (18 schools)
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Deerness
Constituency
City of Durham
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2024 (academy converter)
URN
151058 · LAESTAB 8402497 · UKPRN 10095797
Formerly
Esh Winning Primary School

Where these figures come from