Wearhead Primary School
Wearhead, Bishop Auckland, DL13 1BN
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Sarah Hodgkinson and Richard Sains (Co Executive Headteachers)
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Federation
- Durham Dales Partnership
- Constituency
- Bishop Auckland
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 42
- Pupils on roll
- 11
- URN
- 114065
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01388537265
About this school
Wearhead Primary School is a community primary school in Bishop Auckland. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 11 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Wearhead Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 8 October 2024, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
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 | 2 | 4 |
| 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 Wearhead 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 | 6.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 18 |
| 2023/24 | 16 |
| 2024/25 | 14 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Wearhead Primary School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.8% | 14.3% | 11 | — |
| St John's Chapel Primary School | — | 5.6% | 22.2% | 24 | 2.0 miles |
| Nenthead Primary School | — | 5.2% | 6.7% | 17 | 5.6 miles |
| Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School | 56% | 6% | 23.7% | 123 | 8.4 miles |
| Alston Primary School | 38% | 4.2% | 18.4% | 88 | 9.5 miles |
| Allendale Primary School | 47% | 4.4% | 21% | 126 | 10.2 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)
- 14.29%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 4.81%
- Persistent absence
- 0%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St John's Chapel Primary School2.0 miles
Primary · Bishop Auckland
-
Nenthead Primary School5.6 miles
Primary · Alston
-
Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School8.4 miles
Primary · Bishop Auckland
-
Alston Primary School9.5 miles
Primary · Alston
-
Allendale Primary School10.2 miles
Primary · Allendale
Other schools in Bishop Auckland
- Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law Primary
- Butterknowle Primary School Primary
- Cockfield Primary School Primary
- Cockton Hill Infant School Primary
- Cockton Hill Junior School Primary
- Copeland Road Primary School Primary
- Escomb Primary School Primary
- Etherley Lane Primary School Primary
- Evenwood Church of England Primary School Primary
- Frosterley Primary School Primary
- Hamsterley Primary School Primary
- Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Wearhead Primary School teach?
- Wearhead Primary School teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Bishop Auckland.
- Who is the headteacher of Wearhead Primary School?
- The headteacher of Wearhead Primary School is Sarah Hodgkinson and Richard Sains (Co Executive Headteachers), as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Wearhead Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Wearhead 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 many pupils are at Wearhead Primary School?
- Wearhead Primary School has 11 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Wearhead Primary School full?
- Wearhead Primary School has capacity for 42 pupils and 11 on roll (26%), 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 Wearhead Primary School a faith school?
- No. Wearhead Primary School has no designated religious character.
- Does Wearhead Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Wearhead Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is Wearhead Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Wearhead Primary School is part of the Durham Dales Partnership federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Wearhead Primary School's absence rate?
- Wearhead Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Wearhead Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Wearhead 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 30 June 2026.