Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School is a sponsored academy in Peterlee for pupils aged 5 to 11. It has 99 pupils and room for 119. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.
Thorpe Road, Horden, Peterlee, SR8 4AB0191 586 3895olsots.durham.sch.ukMrs Lisa Ashton headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 12 November 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Ofsted has serious worries about this school. It is in special measures.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 28 November 2019 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
9 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. These are the results of Our Lady Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary, the school this one replaced.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 9 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 8 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 22% | 32% | 61% | 72% | 58% | 75% | 62% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 11% | 17% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 99.0 | 99.0 | 102.0 | 107.0 | 102.0 | 106.0 | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 101.0 | 102.0 | 103.0 | 104.0 | 101.0 | 102.0 | 104.1 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 99.0 | 101.0 | 108.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 104.9 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 22% | 41% | 67% | 89% | 75% | 100% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 56% | 68% | 83% | 83% | 75% | 88% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 56% | 45% | 78% | 83% | 75% | 88% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -2.8 | +2.1 | -0.6 | +4.9 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.4 | -1.8 | -0.9 | +1.4 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | – | 70% | 67% | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | – | 50% | 78% | – | – | – | – |
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 Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary, the school this one replaced in January 2026. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
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.
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 the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 17.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 31.0 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (12), emotional and mental health (10), language and communications needs (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Physical disability (1).
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25† | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.9% | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% | 3.5% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.4% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 2.2% | 3.0% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.5% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 16.3% | 16.3% | 16.0% | 13.3% | 7.7% | 6.5% | 12.8% |
† These attendance figures are for Our Lady Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary, the school this one replaced in January 2026. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
The area around the school
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotsford Primary School | Council | 0.9 miles | 181 | Good 2024 | 43 | Compare |
| Yohden Primary School | Council | 1.0 miles | 182 | Good 2023 | 20 | Compare |
| Acre Rigg Academy | Academy | 1.1 miles | 257 | Good 2023 | 15 | Compare |
| Dene House Primary School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 303 | Good 2022 | 23 | Compare |
| Acre Rigg Infant School | Council | 1.1 miles | 252 | Report card 2026 | 32 | Compare |
| Easington Colliery Primary School | Council | 1.2 miles | 525 | Good 2023 | 60 | Compare |
| Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School | Academy | 1.3 miles | 191 | Good 2023 | 77 | Compare |
| Howletch Lane Primary School | Council | 1.6 miles | 382 | No overall grade 2024 | 5 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School a good school?
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it not judged at its last inspection in November 2024.
What is Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 12 November 2024.
How good are Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 22% 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. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School have?
99 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 119 places, so it is 83% full.
What is attendance like at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School?
Pupils were in school 94.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School?
The average class had 23.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 33% 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
- Thorpe Road, Horden, Peterlee, SR8 4AB
- Telephone
- 0191 586 3895
- Website
- olsots.durham.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lisa Ashton
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 5-11
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
- Multi-academy trust
- Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust (31 schools)
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Ward
- Horden & Dene House
- Constituency
- Easington
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 2026 (new provision)
- URN
- 152108 · LAESTAB 8402026 · UKPRN 10098909
- Formerly
- Our Lady Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.