Cotherstone Primary School
Primary · Community school · Ages 3–11 · Barnard Castle, County Durham
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Durham County Council · offers on 16 April 2026
Cotherstone Primary School is a primary school in Barnard Castle, County Durham for ages 3–11 (community school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 28 February 2024. County Durham has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2026 entry.
Cotherstone Primary School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Reception 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Reception 2026 drew 10 first-choice applications for 11 offers (0.9 first choices per offer, 16th lowest of 195 County Durham primary schools), and every applicant was offered a place.
- There are 13.5 pupils per teacher, against a middle figure of 20 across the 8 nearest primary schools in County Durham, with 66 pupils on roll in January 2026.
- In 2024/25, 40% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), while 10% reached the higher standard (England 8%).
- That 40% was the 2nd lowest in 2024/25 of 7 schools: this one and the 6 of the 8 nearest primary schools in County Durham that have results.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other County Durham schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Cotherstone, Barnard Castle, DL12 9QB
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3–11
- Council
- County Durham
- Pupils on roll
- 66 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 19.7% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 13.5
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 28 February 2024
Strengths
- “Pupils enjoy attending Cotherstone Primary School.”
- “It is a small, welcoming and close-knit community.”
- “The school provides a nurturing environment where pupils can ‘believe, aspire and thrive together’.”
To improve
- “Pupils learn to read and write well but are less secure in their mathematical understanding.”
- “These changes are in the early stages of development.”
- “The school does not check what pupils know and remember effectively.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 25 April 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 40% | 62% |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 10 first-preference applications, 11 offers in total, 10 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in County Durham.
- Montalbo Nursery & Primary School 2.9 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle 3.2 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Green Lane Church of England Primary School 3.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Bowes Hutchinson's CofE (Aided) School 3.9 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Middleton-In-Teesdale Academy 5.2 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Woodland Primary School 5.7 mi Good Last distance published
- Butterknowle Primary School 7.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Cockfield Primary School 7.4 mi Good Last distance published