School Chooser

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic191 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubPeterleeCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
77
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 88
Out of 100. Better than 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2023
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance94.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families42%Far more than most schools
Places124 spare191 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher19.9School workforce census

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School is a converter academy in Peterlee for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 191 pupils and room for 315. About 42 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Westway, Peterlee, SR8 1DE0191 586 2264ourladyrosary.org.ukMrs Marie Graham headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 25 April 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”
Outstanding
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level9%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 69%69%20172018: 51%51%20182019: 45%45%20192023: 51%51%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: +5%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested434537403942
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%71%51%45%51%69%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%16%5%0%5%10%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0106.0104.0100.0101.0104.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0105.0100.0103.0102.0104.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0106.0104.0102.0103.0105.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard84%82%70%50%62%69%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard91%78%59%70%67%81%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)84%78%76%58%82%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.1-3.9-4.0-0.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.0-1.4-2.0-0.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged72%65%44%26%53%44%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged78%75%58%71%50%85%

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 Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary, the school this one replaced in May 2019. 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
72%78%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
77%71%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
4%9%
Gap 5 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places186 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
59% full

129 places were empty (41% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 21% 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 roll191Census January 2026
Places31561% full
Pupils from low-income families37%42% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English11%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%26 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size16.711 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)42%£100,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls96 / 95
White British pupils81%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 17.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (11), language and communications needs (5), emotional and mental health (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Physical disability (3), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll191218240252266286
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals37%42%40%44%41%43%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language11%8%6%6%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%16%16%14%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school18.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.8%6.9%6.6%7.6%4.2%6.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%4.7%4.3%5.0%3.2%4.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%2.3%2.3%2.5%1.1%2.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence18.2%23.0%21.8%29.9%11.8%20.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.13.31.23.01.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary, the school this one replaced in May 2019. 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.

Teachers9.0full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher19.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,629
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.32024/25

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£7,553England £7,128. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£8,578England £7,587. Total £1.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,248England £3,405
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £301k, £1,459 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£211kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,553spent 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 m24012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate118 per 1,000 people30% higher than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop80 mPassfield Way - Southway, 18 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
Howletch Lane Primary SchoolCouncil690 m382No overall grade 20245Compare
Shotton Hall Primary SchoolCouncil1000 m350Not inspected68Compare
Acre Rigg Infant SchoolCouncil0.7 miles252Report card 202632Compare
Acre Rigg AcademyAcademy0.7 miles257Good 202315Compare
Dene House Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles303Good 202223Compare
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.3 miles99No overall grade 2024Compare
Cotsford Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles181Good 202443Compare
Yohden Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles182Good 202320Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats94%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 77 is 57 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 20 · highest 97100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 88. 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; 43 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.12
DfE progress measure; 43 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.17
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.06
2024/25; 181 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 43 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 Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 88, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School good at its last full inspection on 25 April 2023.

How good are Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 9% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School have?

191 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 61% full.

Is Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 129 places were empty in 2024/25 (41% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.2% 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 Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 16.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic 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
Westway, Peterlee, SR8 1DE
Telephone
0191 586 2264
Website
ourladyrosary.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Marie Graham
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
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Multi-academy trust
Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust (31 schools)
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Peterlee
Constituency
Easington
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2019 (academy converter)
URN
147108 · LAESTAB 8403510 · UKPRN 10083225
Formerly
Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary

Where these figures come from