A new inspection report for St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School in Durham has been published by the education watchdog Ofsted. The findings, released on 27 April 2026, follow an inspection of the school held on 17 February 2026.
The assessment was conducted under the organisation’s new inspection framework, which uses a five-point grading scale and does not provide a single overall effectiveness judgement. The school, led by headteacher Mrs Alice Hassall, received a rating of “Strong standard” for both Early Years and Attendance and Behaviour. Other areas, including Achievement, Curriculum and Teaching, Inclusion, Leadership and Governance, and Personal Development and Wellbeing, were assessed as reaching the “Expected standard”.
Inspectors noted that pupils at the school perform significantly better than national averages. Recent figures show that 94 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, compared to the 74 per cent national average. Additionally, 93 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in mathematics, against a national average of 73 per cent.
While the report highlights strong academic performance, inspectors recommended that school leaders focus on embedding consistent teaching across the wider curriculum. The goal is to ensure pupils consistently produce high-quality work in all foundation subjects.
The inspection team, led by His Majesty’s Inspector Richard Wakefield, also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements at the school are “met”. Parents and members of the local community in Durham can view the full report on the official Ofsted website.
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