St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, Durham Review 2026: High-attaining primary with standout outdoor play and sustainability leadership

A strong academic profile sits alongside a clear commitment to childhood done properly, with time to read, explore, and play at scale. The school has built a distinctive identity around OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), turning lunchtimes and breaktimes into structured opportunities for confidence, creativity, and mixed-age social development.

Results are a major draw. In 2024, 91.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%. The higher standard picture is unusually strong too, with 45.67% reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%. In FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings based on official data, the school ranks 465th in England and 2nd in Durham for primary outcomes, placing it well above England average (top 10%).

St Margaret’s is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary, with admissions coordinated by Durham County Council, and an admission limit of 60 pupils per year group (30 per class).

School identity is anchored in Christian life, but expressed in day-to-day language and routines rather than formality for its own sake. Celebration worship features prominently in how achievements are recognised, including OPAL’s weekly Golden Welly award, which reinforces play as a serious part of the school day rather than a gap between lessons.

Outdoor culture is unusually well defined. OPAL has been part of the school’s approach since Autumn 2022, and the school describes multiple play zones across infant, junior, and field areas, with mixed-age access at lunchtime. The practical implication is simple, this is a setting where pupils who learn best through movement and social play are not expected to “save it for after school”. It is built into the rhythm of the week.

A second strand of culture comes through sustainability leadership. The Green Team, made up of Key Stage 2 pupils elected to represent their classes, has a published track record that includes recycling initiatives, second-hand uniform sales, and participation in projects to reduce food waste (the school cites a 14% reduction through the Eat Smart project). There is also an annual Climate Action Plan. The implication for families is that environmental responsibility is presented as practical citizenship, led by pupils, supported by adults, and repeated often enough to shape habits.

Leadership information published by the school identifies the headteacher as Mrs Alice Hassall.

The data points to a high-attaining cohort and strong teaching consistency across the curriculum.

In 2024:

• 91.67% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined (England average: 62%).

• 45.67% reached the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics (England average: 8%).

• Average scaled scores were 111 in reading, 109 in mathematics, and 110 in grammar, punctuation and spelling, giving a combined total score of 330.

These are the sort of outcomes that tend to come with two additional features: clear sequencing of core knowledge, and a culture where practice is normal rather than exceptional. For parents, the key implication is that pupils who are already secure readers and confident in number will generally be stretched, while pupils who need structure and repetition are likely to find it.

Rankings add context. In FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings based on official data, the school is ranked 465th in England and 2nd in Durham for primary outcomes. This places it well above England average (top 10%).

Curriculum breadth looks like a priority rather than a slogan. The school publishes subject areas across the standard primary range (including computing, design and technology, music, and modern foreign language), suggesting that enrichment is intended to be systematic rather than dependent on one-off events.

The most persuasive evidence of how learning is expected to work comes from two practical choices the school has made. First, OPAL is treated as developmental time, with a shared play charter and explicit expectations about behaviour and cooperation during play. Second, sustainability is organised through pupil leadership structures (the Green Team), which creates regular opportunities for speaking, planning, and shared responsibility.

For many pupils, that combination matters. It supports academic success without narrowing the definition of “doing well” to test performance alone, and it can be a good fit for children who need a physical outlet in order to concentrate well in class afterwards.

As a state primary, pupils typically move on at the end of Year 6 through County Durham’s coordinated secondary admissions process. The practical step for families is to treat Year 5 as the planning year, confirm which secondary schools serve your address, and understand the oversubscription criteria that apply, especially where distance or sibling priority is used.

Transition tends to work best when families align two realities early: what the child enjoys and needs day-to-day, and what the local secondary options offer in curriculum, pastoral systems, and journey time. If you are comparing several local primaries with a view to long-term fit, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool can help you view performance indicators side-by-side before you visit.

Reception entry is coordinated by Durham County Council, and the school confirms that admissions decisions are made by the local authority, not directly by the school. The published admission limit is 60 pupils per year group, with 30 pupils per class from Reception to Year 6.

Demand is real. In the most recent admissions data provided, there were 118 applications for 55 offers, which equates to 2.15 applications per place, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed.

For September 2026 Reception entry, County Durham’s published timetable sets out the key milestones:

• Applications open on 01 September 2025

• Closing date is 15 January 2026

• Offers are issued on 16 April 2026

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, the school signposts that a different process applies, while still asking families to complete the local authority preference form as part of admissions.

A practical tip for oversubscribed schools is to be precise about distance assumptions. Even when a school is not publishing a “last distance offered” figure, families can still reduce uncertainty by measuring consistently from the same reference point. FindMySchool’s Map Search can help you check and compare distances in a standardised way across multiple options.

Pastoral credibility often shows up in named roles and clear pathways, rather than broad statements. The school identifies its SENCO as Mrs Alison Hague and also names a designated SEND governor, which suggests governance-level attention to inclusion as well as classroom-level support.

Wraparound provision also matters for wellbeing, because it shapes how calm mornings and ends of day can be for working families. St Margaret’s publishes Breakfast Club and Tea Club provision, running from 07.30am to 08.45am, and from 3.30pm to 6pm.

Two programmes give a useful window into what this school prioritises beyond lessons.

OPAL: Outdoor Play and Learning

OPAL is not presented as a loose idea. The school sets it out as a deliberate approach to play, linked to wellbeing, development, and daily entitlement to high-quality play. The model includes designated play zones and mixed-age access across infant, junior, and field areas.

The implication is that pupils who thrive with practical, social learning time tend to be well served here. It also supports pupils who find long periods of sitting difficult, because active time is expected and organised rather than treated as a disruption.

Sustainability leadership: The Green Team

The Green Team is an elected Key Stage 2 group with a published list of initiatives, including recycling systems, second-hand uniform sales, and participation in school and community projects. The school also references work to reduce food waste through the Eat Smart project, and publishes an annual Climate Action Plan.

For families, the benefit is twofold. Children see responsibility modelled by peers, and they get repeated opportunities to practise practical skills like presenting, persuading, and organising, which often feed back into classroom confidence.

The school publishes a split start and finish to support different age groups. Infant children start at 8.50am and junior children at 8.55am; infant children finish at 3.20pm and junior children finish at 3.30pm. The school also states a typical week is 32.5 hours.

Wraparound care is available via Breakfast Club and Tea Club, running 07.30am to 08.45am and 3.30pm to 6pm.

Travel logistics are addressed directly. The school highlights that access can be difficult due to pupil numbers and proximity to Durham City, and it references agreed rules to support safe parking behaviour.

• Competition for places. Admissions data indicates oversubscription, with 118 applications for 55 offers and around 2.15 applications per place. That level of demand increases the importance of getting the local authority application right and meeting published deadlines.

• A structured approach to play may not suit every child. OPAL is a strength for many pupils, but families who prefer a more traditional, quieter breaktime model may want to understand how outdoor provision feels day-to-day and how staff support pupils who find busy play environments challenging.

• Sustainability is a visible theme. The Green Team’s work is active and ongoing. For most families this is a positive, but if you prefer environmental activity to sit lightly rather than shape projects and messaging, it is worth exploring how it features across the year.

St Margaret’s combines high attainment with a clearly defined wider experience, particularly through OPAL and pupil-led sustainability work. The result is a school that appears to take both learning and childhood seriously, rather than treating them as competing priorities.

Who it suits best: families looking for strong academic outcomes in a Church of England primary where outdoor play, practical responsibility, and pupil leadership are part of the core identity. The main constraint for many will be demand for places, so planning ahead for admissions is essential.