Kingsmeadow Community School

Kingsmeadow Community School demonstrates a strong standard of education with effective leadership and governance that ensures the safety and wellbeing of its pupils. The school has made notable improvements, especially in narrowing the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. While overall pupil performance is around national averages, there are concerns regarding the mixed outcomes in the sixth form, particularly in A-level qualifications where students are not achieving as well as they should. The school has a comprehensive support system in place, enhancing the learning environment and addressing the specific needs of its diverse pupil population.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and governance
• Effective safeguarding measures
• Improvements in attendance and behaviour
• High-quality, ambitious curriculum
• Positive relationships and a supportive school culture
• Tailored interventions for struggling pupils
• Inclusive culture for special educational needs

Areas for Improvement

• Mixed achievement outcomes in the sixth form
• Inconsistent development of subject understanding and skills in post-16 provision
• Persistent absence rates above national average

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Kingsmeadow Community School attended 90.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 13.9% of pupils at Kingsmeadow Community School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 11 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Kingsmeadow Community School had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.8% of pupils at Kingsmeadow Community School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Kingsmeadow Community School received £10,751 and spent £11,286 for each of its 871 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,352,000 (£1,553 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Gateshead · Gateshead local authority: places and applications

What is Kingsmeadow Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kingsmeadow Community School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Kingsmeadow Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kingsmeadow Community School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Kingsmeadow Community School have?

Kingsmeadow Community School has 868 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kingsmeadow Community School cover?

Kingsmeadow Community School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Kingsmeadow Community School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.1, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Kingsmeadow Community School?

Kingsmeadow Community School is at Market Lane, Dunston, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE11 9NX.