School Chooser

Stanley (Crook) Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil128 pupilsCrookCounty Durham
School Chooser Score
56
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 27 to 80, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 37% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 1160%England 63%
Attendance95.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Places5 spare128 pupils, 133 places
Pupils per teacher21.1School workforce census

Stanley (Crook) Primary School is a council school in Crook for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 128 pupils and room for 133. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 56 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 37% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Wooley Terrace, Stanley Crook, Crook, DL15 9AN01388 762858stanleycrook.durham.sch.ukMrs Michelle Norris headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 16 April 2024 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

15 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 1160%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 75%75%20172018: 61%61%20182019: 74%74%20192023: 90%90%20232024: 69%69%20242025: 60%60%2025
Since 2017: -15%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested152620231812
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths60%69%90%74%61%75%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%4%25%9%0%17%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0108.0112.0110.0107.0108.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0107.0111.0108.0104.0104.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0107.0109.0108.0105.0105.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard80%85%100%96%94%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard73%92%100%96%78%83%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%77%90%74%72%75%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.0+3.7+2.1+4.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+5.1+1.4+0.1+0.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%50%75%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged74%92%50%

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 11Boys vs girls
57%63%
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.

Nearly full128 pupils for 133 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% 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 roll128Census January 2026
Places13396% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%12 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.65 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%£20,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls61 / 67
White British pupils98%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (7), emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll128128134136135135
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%13%15%13%15%18%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%1%1%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%13%13%9%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.1%5.9%4.7%6.2%3.3%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.8%4.5%3.4%5.4%2.7%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.4%1.3%0.8%0.6%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.4%16.1%8.5%15.4%3.5%3.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.80.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers6.1full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher21.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,174
Teachers who left in the year29%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.72024/25

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£7,612England £7,738. Total £974k
Income per pupil£7,335England £7,697. Total £939k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,329England £3,480
Money in reserve0%Very little put by: £130, £1 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£35kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,612spent 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 m2212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate108 per 1,000 people18% higher than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop520 mCo-operative Terrace, 0 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
Peases West AcademyAcademy0.8 miles126Good 202322Compare
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, CrookAcademy1.4 miles117Not inspected31Compare
Hartside Primary AcademyAcademy1.5 miles241Good 202254Compare
Crook Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles342Good 202321Compare
Our Lady and St Thomas Catholic Primary School, WillingtonAcademy2.4 miles122Good 202352Compare
Esh Winning AcademyAcademy2.4 miles287Good 202325Compare
Sunnybrow Primary SchoolCouncil2.5 miles54No overall grade 202516Compare
Willington Primary SchoolCouncil2.6 miles156Good 202331Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Stanley (Crook) Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats37%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 56 is 7 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 63 · highest 96100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Stanley (Crook) 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
Kirk Merrington Primary SchoolCouncil7.3 miles180Outstanding 202494Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, BlackhillAcademy9.6 miles202Good 202468Compare
Kibblesworth AcademyAcademy12.5 miles126Good 202274Compare
St Michael's Catholic Primary School, HoughtonAcademy12.6 miles193Report card 202689Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, MurtonRoman Catholic14.9 miles127Good 202368Compare
St Bede's Catholic Primary School, WashingtonAcademy15.3 miles204Good 202480Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 56 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 56% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 27 to 80. 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
+0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 15 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 15 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.32
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.08
2024/25; 109 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 15 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 Stanley (Crook) Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Stanley (Crook) Primary School scores 56 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 37% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 27 to 80, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Stanley (Crook) Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Stanley (Crook) Primary School good at its last full inspection on 16 April 2024.

How good are Stanley (Crook) 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%. 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 Stanley (Crook) Primary School have?

128 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 133 places, so it is 96% full.

Is Stanley (Crook) Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Stanley (Crook) Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Stanley (Crook) Primary School?

The average class had 25.6 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
Wooley Terrace, Stanley Crook, Crook, DL15 9AN
Telephone
01388 762858
Website
www.stanleycrook.durham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Michelle Norris
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Crook
Constituency
Bishop Auckland
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
114059 · LAESTAB 8402313 · UKPRN 10072172

Where these figures come from