St Francis CofE (Aided) Junior School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
111
AGES
7 - 11
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Voluntary aided school
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
03000 265896

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(18/06/2019)
Full Report - All Reports
70%
NATIONAL AVG. 60%
% pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 8% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 11% of schools in England) Average (About 59% of schools in England) Above Average (About 11% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England)
Scholars Path
Newton Aycliffe
DL5 7HB
01325300236

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have upheld a school culture where pupils’ talents are celebrated and where there is a real sense of community. As one pupil told me: ‘It is a small school and we are all very close.’ The previous inspection report asked you to improve boys’ progress, ensure that the pupil premium was having a better impact on disadvantaged pupils, and improve outcomes in mathematics. Since the last inspection, you have improved the quality of teaching further, particularly in mathematics. Teachers ensure that there are ample opportunities for pupils to use their mathematics skills and apply them to solving problems. Teachers question pupils effectively in mathematics lessons to ensure that they gain a deep understanding of how mathematics works. Pupils were keen to tell me how they are well challenged in mathematics and also how much they enjoyed the lessons. The improvements in teaching for all pupils has also ensured that boys make just as much progress as girls. Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment is improving year on year to be closer to that of others in the school and nationally. Members of the governing body have an impressively detailed knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas that need further development. The chair, through his work with other governing bodies is in an excellent position to challenge and support school leaders, for example on the progress of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The planning meeting, which takes place at the beginning of the year, ensures that all governors are very clear about what needs improving and how improvements will be monitored. The pupils I met were thoughtful and perceptive about the quality of their education. The most able pupils said that while the work they received in English and mathematics was challenging, the work in other subjects was sometimes too easy. They said that the things they do help them to understand the world around them. For example, to supplement their work on the Tudors, they visited Durham Cathedral. On the morning of the inspection, all of Year 5 visited a synagogue. In the afternoon they were eager to tell me all about it, adding in a few words of Hebrew they had learned. Pupils said that the philosophy work they do makes them think deeply about sometimes difficult topics. I was impressed by their depth of thought and the breadth of vocabulary that they used in conversation. For example, they spoke to me about the racist attitudes they sometimes encounter outside the school and how they must ‘rise above it’. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that records are detailed and of high quality. You have established a strong culture of safeguarding in the school, whereby all staff are well aware of what they should do if they have any concerns. Your procedures for vetting and checking new members of staff are detailed. The computerised records that you keep are well organised. I could see that when a member of staff registers a concern, it is immediately followed up and referred onto outside agencies if appropriate. The pupils I spoke to understood how to use the internet safely and told me that bullying is a rarity. This is verified in your records, showing that you have very few instances of bullying. None of the parents I spoke to had any concerns about safeguarding in the school. Inspection findings Firstly, I looked at whether pupils with SEND receive good support and make good progress. While they make generally good progress, it could be better. I found that teachers have good subject knowledge about how to get the best out of pupils with SEND. Education, health and care plans are of good quality. However, assessment is not sharp enough to identify the next steps in learning for pupils. Pupils with SEND follow interventions to help them to catch up with their peers. However, not all these interventions are measured to ensure that they are having a positive impact on pupils’ progress. Secondly, I was curious to see if the behaviour of boys was good and whether fewer boys were receiving fixed-term exclusions. I found boys were delightful in class, contributing well to lessons and displaying impeccable manners. These positive attitudes to their learning are reflected in their good progress. Exclusions have fallen and are now below the national average.

St Francis CofE (Aided) Junior School Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>64, "agree"=>36, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>18, "disagree"=>9, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>82, "agree"=>18, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>64, "strongly_agree"=>18, "agree"=>18, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>45, "agree"=>55, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>27, "strongly_agree"=>45, "agree"=>18, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>9, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>50, "agree"=>50, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 10 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>27, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>27, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>27, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>27, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>27, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>18, "disagree"=>9, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022
Yes No {"yes"=>100, "no"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 06-04-2022

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

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