Stockton Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 May 2026

Pupils arrive at school happily each day. They are welcomed into a caring community where they feel known, valued and safe. Staff build warm and trusting relationships with pupils and their families. Older pupils routinely support younger pupils to settle into school life. Pupils know that adults listen to them and help them when they have worries. They feel that staff care about them and help them to feel included. Pupils behave politely and respectfully around the school. They understand the school’s routines and usually follow them well. Bullying is uncommon. When it does happen, pupils trust staff to deal with it quickly and fairly. Pupils attend school regularly. Staff work closely with families to remove barriers to regular attendance. Relationships with parents and carers are positive and supportive. Pupils who have previously found attending school difficult are helped sensitively to re-engage with school. Historically, pupils leave the school achieving well in statutory tests. However, this picture of achievement is not currently consistent across the school. At times, learning does not build carefully enough on what pupils already know and can do. This is particularly evident in some aspects of reading and phonics teaching. Consequently, some pupils do not develop secure foundations in communication, reading and writing as quickly as they should. Pupils enjoy the wider opportunities available to them. Clubs, sporting activities and experiences beyond the academic help pupils to develop their confidence and interests. They value opportunities in the arts, including seeing their work displayed in local galleries. Pupils also enjoy taking responsibility through roles such as being school council representatives and head boy or girl.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teaching and assessment build consistently on pupils’ starting points so that pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make improved progress through the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that the teaching of phonics, reading and early writing is implemented consistently well so that pupils develop secure foundations from the start of school.
• Leaders should ensure that assessment and curriculum implementation in the early years, particularly in the Reception Year, support children to build knowledge and skills progressively over time.
• Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that staffing structures in school enable leaders to monitor provision, to help secure improvements, more regularly.
• Leaders, and those responsible for governance, should ensure that their systems enable improvement. This includes ensuring that resources required to improve the school are provided swiftly.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)