School Chooser

Moorside Primary Academy

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy123 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubConsettCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
10
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 31, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 41% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1143%England 63%
Attendance94.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families49%Far more than most schools
Places3 spare123 pupils, 126 places
Pupils per teacher15.4School workforce census
Pupils on roll123Census January 2026

Moorside Primary Academy is a converter academy in Consett for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 123 pupils and room for 126. About 49 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 10 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it.

Chester Road, Moorside, Consett, DH8 8EQ01207 509724moorsideprimary.org.ukMrs Sarah Wheatley headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

14 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 1143%
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 score99.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 33%33%20172018: 75%75%20182019: 61%61%20192023: 75%75%20232024: 47%47%20242025: 43%43%2025
Since 2017: +10%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested14151618169
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths43%47%75%61%75%33%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%0%0%11%6%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score99.0101.0105.0102.0104.0102.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.0101.0102.0103.0103.0101.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0104.0105.0104.0103.0100.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard57%60%81%67%88%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard50%53%81%72%81%56%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)71%60%88%78%81%44%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.6-2.0-0.2+1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.7-1.9-0.5+0.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%57%58%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%38%67%

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 Moorside Primary School, the school this one replaced in March 2022. 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. 1 of the 3 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
38%50%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
14%71%
Gap 57 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
13%7%
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 places106 pupils for 182 places, 2024/25
58% full

76 places were empty (42% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 9% 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 roll123Census January 2026
Places12698% full
Pupils from low-income families48%49% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English13%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%19 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan8%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size14.48 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)47%£77,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls68 / 55
White British pupils87%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 15.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (15), emotional and mental health (8), Other difficulty or disability (3), Multi-sensory impairment (1), Specific learning difficulty (1), Vision impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll123134134131
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals48%45%38%41%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language13%13%11%12%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support32%22%29%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils11.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.9%5.2%5.6%5.8%3.9%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%4.2%4.0%3.5%2.1%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.0%1.6%2.3%1.8%2.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.2%17.7%11.3%15.7%9.4%16.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate11.94.50.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions000

† These attendance figures are for Moorside Primary School, the school this one replaced in March 2022. 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.

Teachers7.7full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher15.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,373
Teachers who left in the year21%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.22024/25

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£8,677England £7,128. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£9,065England £7,587. Total £1.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,944England £3,405
Money in reserve37%A lot put by: £419k, £3,376 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£48kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,677spent 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 m17012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate81 per 1,000 people12% lower than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop110 mChester Road, 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
Castleside Primary SchoolAcademy650 m83Good 202253Compare
St Pius Xth Catholic Primary School, ConsettAcademy0.8 miles75No overall grade 202430Compare
The Grove Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles179Good 202310Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, BlackhillAcademy1.5 miles202Good 202468Compare
Benfieldside Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 milesNot inspectedCompare
Consett Infant SchoolCouncil2.1 miles153Good 202332Compare
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, ConsettAcademy2.1 miles372Not inspected18Compare
Delves Lane Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles274Report card 20263Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Moorside Primary Academy 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.

Beats41%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 10 is 7 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 17 · highest 91100

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 Moorside Primary 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
Highfield Community Primary SchoolCouncil7.3 miles112Good 202422Compare
Barley Mow Primary SchoolCouncil12.5 miles155Good 202421Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 10 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 10% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 31. 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
-0.30
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 14 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.02
DfE progress measure; 14 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.23
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 104 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 14 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 Moorside Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Moorside Primary Academy scores 10 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 31, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are Moorside Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 43% 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 Moorside Primary Academy have?

123 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 126 places, so it is 98% full.

Is Moorside Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 76 places were empty in 2024/25 (42% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Moorside Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Moorside Primary Academy?

The average class had 14.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Moorside Primary Academy 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
Chester Road, Moorside, Consett, DH8 8EQ
Telephone
01207 509724
Website
moorsideprimary.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Wheatley
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 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Advance Learning Partnership (23 schools)
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Consett South
Constituency
Blaydon and Consett
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2022 (academy converter)
URN
148969 · LAESTAB 8402276 · UKPRN 10090000
Formerly
Moorside Primary School

Where these figures come from