Local area: Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill
Local authority: Durham
Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill in Durham Early years summary
Summary
Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill (E02004305) is part of Durham local authority (view on map). Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill has an approximate population of 10,000 people, of which 7.1% are children 5 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".
Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill neighbours Benfieldside, Hamsterley & Medomsley, Consett, Delves Lane & Leadgate, Lanchester, Stanhope & Weardale, and Stocksfield, Riding Mill & Corbridge.
Headlines for early years in Durham
The data below is only available at local authority level
- 8.5% of pupils are in receipt of the early years pupil premium in Durham compared to 5.1% nationally. This places it among the top 10% of areas with pupils receiving the pupil premium
- 1.6% of pupils under 1 are classed as 'children looked after' in Durham compared to 0.6% nationally. This places it in the top 10% of areas with 'children looked after' in this age group
- 0.9% of pupils aged 1 to 4 are classed as 'children looked after' in Durham compared to 0.4% nationally. This places it in the top 10% of areas with 'children looked after' in this age group
- 6.5% of pupils are receiving SEN support in state-funded settings in Durham compared to 4.5% nationally. This places it among the top 10% of areas with pupils receiving support
- In Durham, 92% of the funded places for 2-year-olds have been taken up, which is higher than the national at 72%. This places it among the top 10% of areas
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill is the 27th least deprived area in Durham (out of 65) with 39% of children living in low-income families, compared to 42% across Durham and 38% nationally.
Provider information
Registered childcare providers
Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill has 8 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 8 |
| Childminders | 6 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 2 |
In Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill, there has been 1 full inspection of childcare providers since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Achievement: 1 was graded 'strong standard' (of 1).
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: 1 was graded 'strong standard' (of 1).
Children's welfare and wellbeing: 1 was graded 'strong standard' (of 1).
Curriculum and teaching: 1 was graded 'strong standard' (of 1).
Inclusion: 1 was graded 'strong standard' (of 1).
Leadership and governance: 1 was graded 'strong standard' (of 1).
The tables below show the outcomes of inspections of childcare providers in Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill. The tables are split by provider type, and show the number of inspections that have taken place for each area, and the outcomes of those inspections.
Contents
All childcare
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Childminders
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Summary of Ofsted findings
Summary of Ofsted findings
Inspection of Durham’s local authority children’s services
These inspections focus on the effectiveness of local authority services and arrangements:
- to help and protect children, and enable families to stay together and get the help they need
- the experiences and progress of children in care wherever they live, including those children who return home
- the arrangements for permanence for children who are looked after, in stable, loving homes, including adoption
- the experiences and progress of care leavers.
| Inspection type | Inspection start date | Overall effectiveness | Impact of leaders | Help and protection | Children in care | Care leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILACS Short Inspection | 24 March 2025 | Outstanding | Outstanding | Good | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| ILACS Standard Inspection | 9 May 2022 | Good | Outstanding | Good | Good | No outcome |
Area SEND inspection of Durham Local Area Partnership
The purpose of an area SEND inspection is to:
- provide an independent, external evaluation of the effectiveness of the local area partnership’s arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
- where appropriate, recommend what the local area partnership should do to improve the arrangements.
| Inspection outcome |
|---|
|
Durham was last inspected on 24 June 2024. The local area partnership's arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements. They were given no areas for priority action. The next full area SEND inspection will be within approximately 3 years. Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) ask that the local area partnership updates and publishes its strategic plan based on the recommendations set out in this report. |
Joint targeted area inspection of Durham local authority
The agencies for these inspections can include the police, children’s social care, probation services, education and relevant health services. Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and childcare providers. The focus of these inspections is how effectively the local safeguarding partners work together at the practice and strategic levels.
| Theme | Inspection start date | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic abuse | 9 July 2018 | Link |
Early years population
Contents
Percentage of Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill population by age group
Table showing percentage of Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill population by age group
| % in Bridgehill, Castleside & Harehope Hill | % in Durham | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 5 and under | 7.1% | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| Under 1 year | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| 1 year | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| 2 years | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| 3 years | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| 4 years | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| 5 years | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% |
Local authority context
Early years pupil premium
In Durham, 8.5% of children are receiving the early years pupil premium, compared to 5.1% nationally.
8.5% of pupils are in receipt of the early years pupil premium in Durham compared to 5.1% nationally. This places it among the top 10% of areas with pupils receiving the pupil premium.
Children looked after
The percentage of 'children looked after' in Durham is 1.6% for under 1 year olds and 0.9% for 1 to 4 year olds. The national average is 0.6% for under 1 year olds and 0.4% for 1 to 4 year olds.
1.6% of pupils under 1 are classed as 'children looked after' in Durham compared to 0.6% nationally. This places it in the top 10% of areas with 'children looked after' in this age group.
In addition,
0.9% of pupils aged 1 to 4 are classed as 'children looked after' in Durham compared to 0.4% nationally. This places it in the top 10% of areas with 'children looked after' in this age group.
Contents
Table showing percentage of children looked after in Durham
| Number in Durham | % in Durham | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children looked after (under 1 year) | 76 | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Children looked after (aged 1 to 4 years) | 182 | 0.9% | 0.4% |
Percentage of children looked after in Durham
Special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded schools
This data is taken from the school census data for children aged 5 and under with special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded settings.
In Durham, 6.5% of children aged 5 and under receive SEN support in state-funded settings and 1.2% have an EHC plan, compared to 4.5% and 1.4% nationally.
6.5% of pupils are receiving SEN support in state-funded settings in Durham compared to 4.5% nationally. This places it among the top 10% of areas with pupils receiving support.
Contents
Percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
Table showing percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
| Number in Durham | % in Durham | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 1,925 | 6.5% | 4.5% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 114 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (3 years) | 337 | 6.9% | 3.7% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (4 years) | 605 | 12% | 9.2% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (5 years) | 869 | 17% | 12% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 358 | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (3 years) | 10 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (4 years) | 136 | 2.6% | 3.1% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (5 years) | 211 | 4.0% | 4.8% |
Education, health and care plans
This data is taken from the local authority level data for children aged 5 and under issued with an education, health and care (EHC) plan in Durham.
In Durham, 1.4% of children aged 5 and under have an EHC plan, compared to 1.6% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of children with an EHCP in Durham by age group
Table showing percentage of children with an EHCP in Durham by age group
| Number in Durham | % in Durham | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: Children with an EHCP (age 5 and under) | 399 | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (under 2 years) | 3 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (3 years) | 29 | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (4 years) | 145 | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (5 years) | 222 | 4.3% | 5.0% |
Early years funded takeup
In Durham, take-up of funded early years places is 92% for 2-year-olds, 92% for 3-year-olds, and 93% for 4-year-olds, compared to 72%, 88%, and 93% nationally.
In Durham, 92% of the funded places for 2-year-olds have been taken up, which is higher than the national at 72%. This places it among the top 10% of areas.
Contents
Percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
Table showing percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
| Funded early years places for 2-year-olds | Number of eligible 2-year-olds | % of population aged 2 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 1,489 | 31% | 92% |
| National | 119,598 | 19% | 72% |
| Funded early years places for 3-year-olds | Number of eligible 3-year-olds | % of population aged 3 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | All 3-year olds are eligible | 92% | |
| National | 88% | ||
| Funded early years places for 4-year-olds | Number of eligible 4-year-olds | % of population aged 4 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | All 4-year olds are eligible | 93% | |
| National | 93% | ||
The 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old funded places tables look different because they measure different things; funded places for 2-year-olds are only for children considered to be disadvantaged, while for 3- and 4-year-olds everyone is entitled to a funded place.
Children's overweight and obesity
In Durham, 27% of reception-age children are overweight or obese, compared to 24% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
Table showing percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
| Number in Durham | % in Durham | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's overweight and obesity (reception-age children) | 1,270 | 27% | 24% |
Oral health
In Durham, 21% of children aged 5 have visible tooth decay (oral health issues) compared to 22% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
Table showing percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
| Number examined in Durham | % examined in Durham | % in Durham | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral health (visible tooth decay in 5-year-olds) | 1,070 | 20% | 21% | 22% |