Middleton-In-Teesdale Academy Review 2026: Small village primary with nursery and wraparound care

Where the school does publish current attainment information, it presents 2025 outcomes on its own website. For 2025, it reports 58% achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined; reading scaled score 104; maths scaled score 96; and 0% at the higher standard in reading, writing and maths.

. In a small cohort, a few pupils can shift percentages sharply year to year, so families should ask how large the Year 6 group was and what support and curriculum changes are in place to stabilise outcomes over time.

Curriculum intent is described as creative, inclusive, challenging and “real-world”, with an emphasis on ambition and lifelong learning. The strongest signal here is that the school is trying to make curriculum planning a visible, structured part of its public offer: it has dedicated pages for subject approaches, including reading.

Reading is framed as a daily habit tied to vocabulary and wider knowledge, which is exactly the kind of high-leverage practice that often underpins improvement in small primaries. The implication for parents is straightforward: if your child needs confidence and fluency, ask how early reading is taught, which phonics programme is used, and how quickly the school moves children from decoding to comprehension and wider reading choices.

In early years, the nursery content shown through school updates points to learning that connects literacy with practical tasks, including cooking and following instructions, which is aligned with typical early years development goals while still feeling purposeful.

As a primary school, the main transition point is Year 6 into secondary. The school sits in County Durham (Durham local authority), and most families will weigh transport, friendship groups and pastoral fit as much as raw performance measures when choosing the next step. The most useful next action is to ask the school which secondary schools pupils most commonly move to, and how transition is handled, particularly for pupils with additional needs or those who are anxious about change.

For children starting in nursery or Reception, continuity can be a real strength in a small setting. The day-to-day relationships formed early can make later key stage transitions calmer, especially for children who thrive on routine and familiar adults.

Reception admissions are coordinated by Durham County Council rather than directly by the school, with the academy directing families to the local authority portal. For September 2026 entry, Durham’s published timeline states that applications open on 01 September 2025 and offers are issued on Thursday 16 April 2026. The school’s own admissions leaflet reiterates the standard national closing date of 15 January for September entry.

In-year admissions and nursery entry are worth discussing early in a small school. Nursery has its own admission form on the school site, which suggests a more direct, school-led process for early years.

The best parent move, particularly if you are moving into the area, is to check the most recent local authority oversubscription criteria and then sanity-check your assumptions with the school office. FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful here for understanding practical travel distance and what “local” really looks like in a rural catchment context, especially where roads and weather can affect the daily routine.

The pastoral picture that emerges from the school’s published messaging is relationship-led, with an expectation of good manners, strong communication and clear behaviour standards. In a village primary, that typically translates into fast feedback loops: issues are noticed quickly, but equally, families should ask how behaviour is tracked and supported, particularly for pupils who struggle with regulation or who need consistent interventions over time.

For safeguarding context, it is also relevant that the predecessor school was in special measures following the March 2022 inspection, with monitoring visits continuing through 2023. The implication is not that today’s practice is automatically unsafe, but that families should do the sensible thing: ask what has changed, what external support is in place through the trust, and how leaders ensure staff training and record-keeping are consistent.

The school publishes frequent news items that show pupils taking part in festivals and practical activities. For example, Year 3 and 4 attended a tri-golf festival at Barnard Castle Golf Club, which is a useful indicator that sport and wider participation are part of school life beyond the immediate village.

It also signals structured enrichment in early years and key stage 1: nursery updates show book-linked projects that combine literacy, speaking and listening, and hands-on learning.

For parents comparing small primaries, the real differentiator is often not the existence of clubs but the reliability of them. The school’s sports premium planning explicitly references lunchtime clubs and after school clubs, suggesting an intent to keep a consistent offer even with small numbers. Ask what is running this term, whether clubs rotate, and whether they depend on staffing capacity.

The school day is clearly stated: nursery runs 8:45am to 12:00pm or 3:00pm depending on sessions, while Reception through Year 6 run 8:45am to 3:15pm. For wraparound care, Dawn Till Dusk Childcare operates breakfast and after school clubs (7:30am to 6:00pm, term time).

Uniform expectations are detailed, including a logo jumper or cardigan, and a tie for Reception to Year 6; nursery is given slightly more flexibility (for example, a white polo shirt).

On transport, the practical reality is rural: families should consider winter travel conditions, parking pressure at drop-off, and whether walking routes are safe for older pupils. The school is small enough that these day-to-day logistics can strongly shape the overall experience.

• Recent improvement journey. The predecessor school was judged Inadequate in March 2022 and had monitoring visits during 2023. Families should ask for a clear explanation of what has changed since then and which trust systems now underpin teaching quality and safeguarding.

• Small-cohort volatility. In a small primary, published percentages can swing year to year. Ask how leaders interpret results, what interventions are in place, and how the curriculum is sequenced to build consistency.

• Wraparound is via an attached provider. Dawn Till Dusk is a separate childcare provider offering breakfast and after school provision. That can be convenient, but parents should confirm booking, availability, and how handovers work day to day.

• Limited published admissions detail on the school site. The school directs Reception applicants to the local authority route. Families who want clarity should read the Durham timeline and oversubscription criteria early, then verify details with the school.

Middleton-In-Teesdale Academy will suit families who value a very small, relationship-driven primary with nursery on site and wraparound care available, and who are comfortable asking detailed questions about improvement work and consistency. The clearest upside is community and continuity from age three; the key diligence point is understanding how the school has strengthened teaching, curriculum planning and safeguarding since the predecessor school’s Inadequate judgement.