Nenthead Primary School
Nenthead, Alston, CA9 3LS
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Rob Dawson
- Federation
- Alston Moor Federation
- Constituency
- Penrith and Solway
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 28
- Pupils on roll
- 17
- URN
- 112116
- Local authority
- Westmorland and Furness
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01434381400
About this school
Nenthead Primary School is a community primary school in Alston. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 17 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | - |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | - |
| Expected standard in reading | - | - | - |
| Expected standard in maths | - | - | - |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | - | - |
Trends over time
How Nenthead Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 20 |
| 2023/24 | 20 |
| 2024/25 | 15 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Nenthead Primary School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 56% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 5.2% | 6.7% | 17 | — |
| Alston Primary School | 38% | 4.2% | 18.4% | 88 | 4.0 miles |
| Wearhead Primary School | — | 4.8% | 14.3% | 11 | 5.6 miles |
| St John's Chapel Primary School | — | 5.6% | 22.2% | 24 | 7.6 miles |
| Allendale Primary School | 47% | 4.4% | 21% | 126 | 8.4 miles |
| Whitfield CofE Primary School | — | 6.5% | 0% | 22 | 9.0 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 6.67%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 5.15%
- Persistent absence
- 20%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Alston Primary School4.0 miles
Primary · Alston
-
Wearhead Primary School5.6 miles
Primary · Bishop Auckland
-
St John's Chapel Primary School7.6 miles
Primary · Bishop Auckland
-
Allendale Primary School8.4 miles
Primary · Allendale
-
Whitfield CofE Primary School9.0 miles
Primary · Hexham
Other schools in Alston
- Alston Primary School Primary
- Samuel King's School Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does Nenthead Primary School teach?
- Nenthead Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Alston.
- Who is the headteacher of Nenthead Primary School?
- The headteacher of Nenthead Primary School is Mr Rob Dawson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Nenthead Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Nenthead Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Nenthead Primary School?
- Nenthead Primary School has 17 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Nenthead Primary School full?
- Nenthead Primary School has capacity for 28 pupils and 17 on roll (61%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Nenthead Primary School a faith school?
- No. Nenthead Primary School has no designated religious character.
- Does Nenthead Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Nenthead Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs Nenthead Primary School?
- Nenthead Primary School is part of the Alston Moor Federation federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Nenthead Primary School's absence rate?
- Nenthead Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.2% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Nenthead Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Nenthead Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.