Finchale Primary School
Primary · Community school · Ages 4–11 · Durham, County Durham
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
3.994 miles
Published by Durham County Council · offers on 16 April 2026
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Finchale Primary School is a primary school in Durham, County Durham for ages 4–11 (community school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 8 May 2025. County Durham has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2026 entry.
Finchale 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 | 3.994 mi |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In 2024/25, 78% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), and 19% reached the higher standard (England 8%).
- In 2026 the last Reception place offered went to a child living 3.994 miles away, 2nd longest of 20 County Durham primary schools with a published last distance.
- For Reception 2026 there were 29 first-choice applications for 30 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 1 offer went to a family who ranked it second or lower.
- 4.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, against a middle figure of 17.9% across the 8 nearest primary schools in County Durham.
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
- Canterbury Road, Newton Hall, Durham, DH1 5XT
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4–11
- Council
- County Durham
- Pupils on roll
- 209 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 4.8% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 26.1
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 8 May 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils are proud to be part of the ‘Finchale family’.”
- “This is a friendly and welcoming school.”
- “There are high expectations of pupils.”
To improve
- “However, at times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding consistently well.”
- “This means that, on occasions, teachers do not identify misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge.”
- “However, the success of these strategies varies.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 18 June 2025 (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) | 78% | 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: 29 first-preference applications, 30 offers in total, 29 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.
- Blue Coat CofE (Aided) Junior School 0.6 mi School remains Good
- Durham Newton Hall Infants' School 0.6 mi Not judged Last distance published
- St Godric's Catholic Primary School, Durham 0.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Framwellgate Moor Primary School 1.0 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Durham Gilesgate Primary School 1.5 mi Good Last distance published
- St Hild's College Church of England Primary School, Durham 1.7 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gilesgate 1.7 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Belmont CofE (Controlled) Primary School 1.9 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published