West Rainton Primary School
Community primary school in Houghton le Spring (County Durham).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Hello, and welcome to West Rainton Primary School. It is both a privilege and a pleasure to show you what our school has to offer. Our school is a fun and happy place to work, play, learn and grow. We care for each other like a big, extended family, and we are proud of our school values, achievements and every individual within it. We make every school-day count.
Our school is situated in the beautiful, rural village of West Rainton on the outskirts of Durham. It opened in 1927, during a proud period of coalmining heritage, and has been serving the community of West Rainton and Leamside ever since.
We pride ourselves on being a safe, inclusive school community where lifelong learning is fostered through high quality educational experiences, creativity and enjoyment.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
5 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Computing
- Lego
- Music
- Swimming
- Forest School
Awards
4 awardsiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- ArtsmarkArts and culture
- Inclusion Quality MarkInclusion
- Basic Skills Quality MarkLiteracy and numeracy
- Heritage SchoolsRecognised award
Key facts
- URN
- 114128
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Constituency
- City of Durham
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Governing body (10 current, 3 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revd Dr Michael Leonard Beck | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Denise Wood | Governor | Nominated by LA and appointed by GB | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr James Anderson | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Nilesh Dabkara | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Sarah Newham | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Simon Scott | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Morc Coulson | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Stella Griggs | Governor | Parent appointed by GB/board due to no election candidates | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Helen Forster | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Kirstin Ann McGowan | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Bernadette Wise Former | Governor | Parent appointed by GB/board due to no election candidates | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Simon Scott Former | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2017 · term ended 2025 |
| Mrs Claire Maddox Former | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2017 · term ended 2025 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record