Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool
Low Road, Gainford, Darlington, DL2 3DR
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DURHAM AND NEWCASTLE DIOCESAN LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Karen Whitaker
- Diocese
- Diocese of Durham
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust
- Constituency
- Bishop Auckland
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 100
- Pupils on roll
- 42
- URN
- 151061
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01325730274
About this school
Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool is a Church of England primary academy in Darlington. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 42 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool under its current framework. 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
Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in September 2024, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 12 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 17% |
| Expected standard in reading | 92% |
| Expected standard in maths | 75% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 83% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 106.0 |
How Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool compares
Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool ranked 72nd of 185 primary schools in County Durham for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 57% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 99% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 67% | 2.9% | 17.8% | 42 | — |
| Ingleton CofE Primary School | 89% | 2.8% | 4.8% | 48 | 2.3 miles |
| Eppleby Forcett Church of England Primary School | — | — | 5.6% | 68 | 2.3 miles |
| Staindrop CofE (Controlled) Primary School | 84% | 4.1% | 15.5% | 179 | 3.2 miles |
| High Coniscliffe CofE Primary School | 62% | 4.5% | 17.9% | 96 | 3.5 miles |
| Evenwood Church of England Primary School | 86% | 6.7% | 55.9% | 97 | 5.2 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)
- 17.78%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 2.87%
- Persistent absence
- 9.3%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Ingleton CofE Primary School2.3 miles
Primary · Darlington
-
Eppleby Forcett Church of England Primary School2.3 miles
Primary · Richmond
-
Staindrop CofE (Controlled) Primary School3.2 miles
Primary · Darlington
-
High Coniscliffe CofE Primary School3.5 miles
Primary · Darlington
-
Evenwood Church of England Primary School5.2 miles
Primary · Bishop Auckland
Other schools in Darlington
Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool ranks 18th of the 29 ranked primary schools in Darlington.
- Abbey Infants' School Primary
- Abbey Junior School Primary
- Corporation Road Community Primary School Primary
- Croft Church of England Primary School Primary
- Firthmoor Primary School Primary
- Gurney Pease Academy Primary
- Harrowgate Hill Primary School Primary
- Heathfield Primary School Primary
- High Coniscliffe CofE Primary School Primary
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School Primary
- Hurworth Primary School Primary
- Ingleton CofE Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool teach?
- Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Darlington.
- Who is the headteacher of Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool?
- The headteacher of Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool is Mrs Karen Whitaker, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How big is Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool?
- Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool has 42 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool full?
- Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool has capacity for 100 pupils and 42 on roll (42%), 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 Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool a faith school?
- Yes. Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Durham.
- Does Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool?
- Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool is part of DURHAM AND NEWCASTLE DIOCESAN LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How does Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool rank locally?
- Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool ranked 72nd of 185 primary schools in County Durham for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 57% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 99% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool's absence rate?
- Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool's overall absence rate is 2.9% in the latest published census.
- What are Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Gainford Church of England Primary School and Preschool'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 10 July 2026.