Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery
Lomond Walk, West Auckland, Bishop Auckland, DL14 9UDOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery is a primary school in Bishop Auckland for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 271 schools in County Durham. It ranks 8th of 22 primary schools in Bishop Auckland. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2018.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 1 May 2018, report published 5 June 2018
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 8 November 2023
Oakley Cross is a welcoming, inclusive school. New pupils who arrive appreciate how easy it is to make new friends and to fit in. Staff are sensitive and caring. They help the youngest children settle quickly. Pupils feel safe. They have warm, secure relationships with staff who they trust to help and support them at all times. Pupils respond well to high expectations. Pupils work diligently during lessons and move around school in an orderly way. Poor behaviour is rare and dealt with promptly. Bullying and the use of discriminatory language occur very infrequently. When incidents happen, adults resolve them, and they do not recur. Pupils are encouraged to be independent from a very early age. Adults guide two-year-old children to serve themselves at snack time. All older pupils take a leadership role or a responsibility. This includes helping younger pupils with their reading and mathematical skills. The local area is used as a rich resource to stimulate pupils' enjoyment of the curriculum. Geographical fieldwork takes place at the local river. Visits to a nearby Roman Fort enhances pupils' historical knowledge. Pupils experience powerful emotions when studying paintings at an art gallery.
What the school should improve
- In some foundation subjects, such as geography and history, pupils' knowledge of the links and themes between the topics they study is insecure. Pupils lack confidence in using subject-specific terminology. The school needs to clearly identify the links and themes in subjects and the key terminology they intend pupils to learn. It needs to ensure this is used to plan and provide logically sequenced learning which enables pupils' knowledge and skills to build consistently and effectively on what they already know and can do in all subjects.
- Gaps in pupils' map-reading skills hamper their ability to use the resources they are given. As a result, pupils find the activities given are, sometimes, too difficult. The school must ensure pupils develop the map-reading skills needed so that pupils can be successful in the activities they undertake.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
18 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
161 pupils on roll, with places for 119
Schools near Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copeland Road Primary School | 0.2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Not published |
| St Helen Auckland Community Primary School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 43% met the expected standard |
| Woodhouse Primary Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Not published |
| Toft Hill Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding | 74% met the expected standard |
| Ramshaw Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 64% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sian Atkinson
- Phone
- 01388833186
- Address
- Lomond Walk, West Auckland, Bishop Auckland, DL14 9UD
- Local authority
- County Durham
- URN
- 114069
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.