School Chooser

Shotley Bridge Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedCouncil344 pupilsNurseryConsettCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
46
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 26 to 67
Out of 100. Better than 27% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, October 2023
Reached the expected level at 1159%England 63%
Attendance96.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Places76 spare344 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher17.9School workforce census

Shotley Bridge Primary School is a council school in Consett for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 344 pupils and room for 420. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 46 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 27% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Snows Green Road, Shotley Bridge, Consett, DH8 0ES01207 260444shotleybridgeprimary.durham.sch.ukMrs Vicky Atkinson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 12 October 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1159%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
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: 85%85%20172018: 77%77%20182019: 72%72%20192023: 61%61%20232024: 66%66%20242025: 59%59%2025
Since 2017: -26%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested513544394334
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths59%66%61%72%77%85%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%9%9%23%14%18%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0104.0107.0108.0108.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0104.0101.0106.0105.0107.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0104.0103.0109.0109.0109.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard76%83%77%82%81%94%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard75%77%70%85%91%97%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%77%86%97%91%88%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.2-0.2+1.7+1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.4-1.0+0.1+1.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%29%67%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged62%75%59%79%

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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
33%62%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
67%53%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%8%
Gap 8 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 places345 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
82% full

75 places were empty (18% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% 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 roll344Census January 2026
Places42082% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%42 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size25.210 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)10%£51,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls181 / 163
White British pupils91%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.4 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (17), language and communications needs (7), Specific learning difficulty (6), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (5), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll344347349375396393
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%11%10%12%12%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%2%2%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%10%4%5%2%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%1%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.9%4.2%4.8%6.1%2.0%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%2.5%3.3%4.7%1.5%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.7%1.6%1.4%0.5%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.5%6.5%10.7%14.4%2.3%7.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.90.60.00.50.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers19.2full-time equivalent, 20 people
Pupils per teacher17.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,648
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.82024/25

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£6,751England £7,738. Total £2.3m
Income per pupil£6,637England £7,697. Total £2.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,296England £3,480
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £239k, £690 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£40kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,751spent 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 m5612 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people56% lower than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop190 mCatholic Church, 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
Benfieldside Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 milesNot inspectedCompare
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, BlackhillAcademy1.0 miles202Good 202468Compare
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, ConsettAcademy1.5 miles372Not inspected18Compare
Ebchester CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.6 miles77Good 202371Compare
Consett Infant SchoolCouncil1.6 miles153Good 202332Compare
Consett Junior SchoolCouncil1.6 miles228Good 202352Compare
The Grove Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles179Good 202310Compare
Bishop Ian Ramsey CofE Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles126Good 202427Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Shotley Bridge Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats27%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 46 is 16 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 62 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 46 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 46% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 26 to 67. 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; 51 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.10
DfE progress measure; 51 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.08
2024/25; 306 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 51 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 Shotley Bridge Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Shotley Bridge Primary School scores 46 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 27% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 26 to 67, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Shotley Bridge Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Shotley Bridge Primary School good at its last full inspection on 12 October 2023.

How good are Shotley Bridge Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 59% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Shotley Bridge Primary School have?

344 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 82% full.

Is Shotley Bridge Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 75 places were empty in 2024/25 (18% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Shotley Bridge Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Shotley Bridge Primary School?

The average class had 25.2 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
Snows Green Road, Shotley Bridge, Consett, DH8 0ES
Telephone
01207 260444
Website
shotleybridgeprimary.durham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Vicky Atkinson
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Benfieldside
Constituency
Blaydon and Consett
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
114038 · LAESTAB 8402257 · UKPRN 10072177
Formerly
Shotley Bridge Junior School

Where these figures come from