School Chooser

Walworth School

Special · ages 4-11MixedCouncil90 pupilsNewton AycliffeCounty Durham
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, September 2023
Reached the expected level at 110%England 63%
Attendance92.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families83%Far more than most schools
Places16 spare90 pupils, 106 places
Pupils per teacher6.4School workforce census

Walworth School is a council special school in Newton Aycliffe for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 90 pupils and room for 106. About 83 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Bluebell Way, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 7LP01325 300194walworth.durham.sch.ukMr Roland Cooke headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 21 September 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

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

Reached the expected level at 110%
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 score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 0%0%20172018: 5%5%20182019: 10%10%20192023: 0%0%20232024: 0%0%20242025: 0%0%2025
Since 2017: +0%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017County DurhamEngland
Pupils tested262431291934
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%10%5%0%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%3%0%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.099.096.099.0101.095.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.099.096.099.0103.094.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.098.095.096.098.096.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard31%25%19%21%37%15%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard42%33%29%34%42%9%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)0%0%0%10%5%0%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.8-2.4-1.7-2.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.4-0.4-1.9-5.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged0%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged0%

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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

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.

Pupils on roll90Census January 2026
Places10685% full
Pupils from low-income families83%83% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%90 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)74%£102,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls81 / 9
White British pupils96%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in County Durham with social, emotional and mental health provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (90).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll908981807165
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals83%76%82%79%66%71%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%1%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%100%100%100%100%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school23.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils20.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.4%7.8%9.8%10.7%19.5%5.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.0%5.4%6.8%9.4%17.5%4.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.4%2.4%3.0%1.4%2.0%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence23.3%24.0%32.9%34.7%70.7%13.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate20.24.96.311.318.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers14.0full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher6.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers93%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants26.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£59,065
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.12024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£31,941England £32,258. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£36,140England £32,367. Total £3.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£11,522England £11,930
Money in reserve34%A lot put by: £1.1m, £12k per pupil. England 7%
Money in against money out+£374kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£31,941spent 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 m34212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate66 per 1,000 people28% lower than the England average
Typical house price£143,000County Durham
Nearest bus stop90 mBluebell Way Scout Centre, 22 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy500 m150Good 202243Compare
Byerley Park Primary SchoolCouncil510 m207Report card 202661Compare
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England530 m147Good 20246Compare
Woodham Burn Community Primary School and NurseryAcademy720 m222Requires improvement 20217Compare
Stephenson Way Academy and Nursery SchoolAcademy730 m285Good 20225Compare
Greenfield AcademyAcademy0.6 miles566Requires improvement 20197Compare
Sugar Hill Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles448No overall grade 202543Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Newton AycliffeAcademy1.0 miles162No overall grade 202553Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Walworth School a good school?

Walworth School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in September 2023.

What is Walworth School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Walworth School good at its last full inspection on 21 September 2023.

How good are Walworth School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 0% 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.

How many pupils does Walworth School have?

90 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 106 places, so it is 85% full.

What is attendance like at Walworth School?

Pupils were in school 92.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

Does Walworth School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for social, emotional and mental health. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Bluebell Way, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 7LP
Telephone
01325 300194
Website
www.walworth.durham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Roland Cooke
Type of school
Council special school (Community special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
County Durham
Ward
Aycliffe North & Middridge
Constituency
Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
114341 · LAESTAB 8407014 · UKPRN 10078282

Where these figures come from