South Hetton Primary
Frederick Terrace, South Hetton, Durham, DH6 2TJ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- TUDHOE LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Nicola Mayo
- Religious ethos
- None
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Tudhoe Learning Trust
- Constituency
- Easington
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 231
- Pupils on roll
- 202
- URN
- 141999
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Telephone
- 01915261662
About this school
South Hetton Primary is a primary academy in Durham. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 202 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected South Hetton Primary, 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
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
- Early years
- 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 | 26 | 35 | 23 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 62% | 51% | 57% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 15% | 0% | 17% |
| Expected standard in reading | 73% | 69% | 70% |
| Expected standard in maths | 81% | 57% | 65% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 77% | 66% | 74% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 104.0 | 103.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 101.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | -1.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.10 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +0.20 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How South Hetton Primary has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | County Durham average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 62% | 58% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 51% | 58.4% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 57% | 60% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 217 |
| 2023/24 | 208 |
| 2024/25 | 196 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How South Hetton Primary compares
South Hetton Primary ranked 117th of 185 primary schools in County Durham for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 34% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 38% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 57% | 6% | 37.1% | 202 | — |
| Easington Lane Primary School | 63% | 6.5% | 49.6% | 281 | 1.0 miles |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton | 71% | 3.2% | 19.7% | 127 | 1.4 miles |
| Ribbon School | 64% | 5.3% | 41.7% | 514 | 1.7 miles |
| Hetton Lyons Primary School | 60% | 5.4% | 27.8% | 431 | 2.0 miles |
| Hetton Primary School | 54% | 6.9% | 47.9% | 206 | 2.3 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)
- 37.06%
- English as an additional language
- 3.1%
- Overall absence
- 6%
- Persistent absence
- 20%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Easington Lane Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Houghton le Spring
-
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton1.4 miles
Primary · Seaham
-
Ribbon School1.7 miles
Primary · Seaham
-
Hetton Lyons Primary School2.0 miles
Primary · Houghton le Spring
-
Hetton Primary School2.3 miles
Primary · Houghton le Spring
Other schools in Durham
South Hetton Primary ranks 29th of the 42 ranked primary schools in Durham.
- All Saints' Catholic Primary School, Lanchester Primary
- Bearpark Primary School Primary
- Belmont Cheveley Park Primary School Primary
- Belmont CofE (Controlled) Primary School Primary
- Blue Coat CofE (Aided) Junior School Primary
- Brandon Primary Academy Primary
- Burnhope Primary School Primary
- Cassop Primary School Primary
- Coxhoe Primary School Primary
- Durham Gilesgate Primary School Primary
- Durham Newton Hall Infants' School Primary
- Edmondsley Primary Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does South Hetton Primary teach?
- South Hetton Primary teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Durham.
- Who is the headteacher of South Hetton Primary?
- The headteacher of South Hetton Primary is Nicola Mayo, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has South Hetton Primary been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected South Hetton Primary, 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 South Hetton Primary?
- South Hetton Primary has 202 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is South Hetton Primary full?
- South Hetton Primary has capacity for 231 pupils and 202 on roll (87%), 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 South Hetton Primary a faith school?
- No. South Hetton Primary has no designated religious character.
- Does South Hetton Primary have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records South Hetton Primary as having nursery classes.
- Is South Hetton Primary part of an academy trust?
- South Hetton Primary is part of TUDHOE LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have South Hetton Primary's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 62% in 2022/23 and 57% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does South Hetton Primary compare with other schools in County Durham?
- South Hetton Primary ranked 117th of 185 primary schools in County Durham for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 34% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 38% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is South Hetton Primary's absence rate?
- South Hetton Primary's overall absence rate is 6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are South Hetton Primary's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, South Hetton Primary'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 2 July 2026.