School Chooser

St William's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic125 pupilsNurseryTrimdon StationCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
52
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 24 to 78, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 45% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1160%England 63%
Attendance94.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places15 spare125 pupils, 140 places
Pupils per teacher23.7School workforce census

St William's Catholic Primary School is a converter academy in Trimdon Station for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 125 pupils and room for 140. About 16 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 52 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Elwick View, Trimdon Village, Trimdon Station, TS29 6HY01429 880348stwilliams.bhcet.org.ukMr Michael Tiplady headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 June 2024, 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”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1160%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
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: 72%72%20172018: 93%93%20182019: 83%83%20192023: 72%72%20232024: 86%86%20242025: 60%60%2025
Since 2017: -12%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested202118181518
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths60%86%72%83%93%72%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%14%11%11%27%6%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0109.0107.0107.0111.0107.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0107.0105.0107.0110.0108.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0108.0105.0108.0111.0108.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard80%100%83%89%100%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%90%78%94%100%89%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)70%90%78%89%93%89%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.1+0.8+4.2+3.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.9+1.0+4.2+3.5

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 St William's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 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. 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 11Boys vs girls
71%54%
Gap 17 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.

A few spare places113 pupils for 126 places, 2024/25
90% full

About 13 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% 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 roll125Census January 2026
Places14089% full
Pupils from low-income families16%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%14 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size31.34 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils75%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£23,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls66 / 59
White British pupils86%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 32.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (6), Moderate learning difficulty (5), language and communications needs (4), Specific learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll125131136141148147
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals16%14%14%14%12%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%8%3%3%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%11%14%14%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%0%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.82024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.6%6.3%6.2%4.9%2.1%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.0%4.2%3.7%3.6%1.8%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%2.1%2.4%1.2%0.3%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.0%15.5%17.1%11.1%3.4%1.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.80.00.70.06.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for St William's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 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.

Teachers5.2full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher23.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,747
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher16.12024/25

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£6,906England £7,128. Total £877k
Income per pupil£7,024England £7,587. Total £892k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,378England £3,405
Money in reserve18%A healthy amount put by: £164k, £1,293 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£15kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,906spent 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 m13412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate100 per 1,000 people10% higher than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop150 mMeadow Rd Jnr School, 10 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
Bluebell Meadow Primary SchoolAcademy80 m210Good 202341Compare
Fishburn Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles111Requires improvement 20235Compare
Deaf Hill Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles154Good 202277Compare
Kelloe Primary SchoolAcademy2.6 miles124Not inspected91Compare
Sedgefield Hardwick Primary AcademyAcademy2.6 miles256Not inspected91Compare
St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.8 miles125Outstanding 202484Compare
Wingate Primary SchoolAcademy2.9 miles347Good 2023Compare
St Marys Catholic Primary School, WingateAcademy2.9 miles67Good 20247Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St William's 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.

Beats45%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 52 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 53 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St William's Catholic Primary School, 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
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, MurtonRoman Catholic8.4 miles127Good 202368Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 52 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 52% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 24 to 78. 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%in line
+0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 20 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.01
DfE progress measure; 20 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.13
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.00
2024/25; 100 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 20 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 St William's Catholic Primary School a good school?

It is about average. St William's Catholic Primary School scores 52 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 24 to 78, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St William's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St William's Catholic Primary School good at its last full inspection on 11 June 2024.

How good are St William's Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 60% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St William's Catholic Primary School have?

125 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 140 places, so it is 89% full.

Is St William's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 13 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St William's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St William's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 31.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 75% 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
Elwick View, Trimdon Village, Trimdon Station, TS29 6HY
Telephone
01429 880348
Website
stwilliams.bhcet.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr Michael Tiplady
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Multi-academy trust
Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust (35 schools)
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Trimdon & Wingate
Constituency
Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2019 (academy converter)
URN
147402 · LAESTAB 8403442 · UKPRN 10084235
Formerly
St William's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School

Where these figures come from