Grange First School

Grange First School is a highly inclusive and welcoming school that serves a diverse community, including increasing numbers of pupils with multiple vulnerabilities. Inspectors found particularly strong provision in inclusion and personal development and wellbeing, while achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, and leadership and governance were all judged to be at the expected standard. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is a member of the Gosforth School's Trust, a collaborative partnership of 11 schools, and has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils with SEN support and EHC plans, as well as above-average location deprivation. Key strengths include determined leadership that secures and monitors high-quality provision for vulnerable pupils, bespoke staff training that reduces barriers to learning, and a compelling wider development offer. Pupils benefit from highly effective pastoral support, strong relationships education, and a wide range of clubs and visits. Behaviour is highly positive, bullying is rare, and pupils develop a mature understanding of safety, health, and inclusivity. Early years provision provides firm foundations, and pupils typically achieve well, with strong phonics outcomes. Concerns are limited but clear. Some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not produce consistently high-quality work, and lesson tasks do not always build and develop skills and knowledge over time. Persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils fluctuates more than for other groups, which can limit their progress. Leaders are aware of both issues and have identified them as priorities for further work. The next steps focus on improving the quality of tasks and continuing to improve disadvantaged pupils' attendance.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive and welcoming school that supports pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and vulnerabilities.
• Leaders are determined and rigorous in securing the best possible provision for pupils.
• Bespoke staff professional development effectively reduces barriers to learning.
• Staff quickly identify SEND and other vulnerabilities and provide tailored support.
• Compelling wider development offer with a wide range of clubs, visits, and events.
• Pupils develop a strong understanding of spirituality, cultural difference, democracy, and the rule of law.
• Highly effective relationships education helps pupils understand healthy friendships and safety.
• Impressive pastoral support significantly improves pupils' wellbeing and access to learning.
• Pupils typically achieve well, with firm early years foundations and strong phonics outcomes.
• Pupils with SEND tend to attain well in phonics and are well prepared for the next stage.
• Behaviour is highly positive, pupils are empathetic and cooperative, and bullying is rare.
• Leadership is consistent, evaluative, and focused on continual improvement.
• Governors are skilled and knowledgeable, challenging and supporting the school appropriately.
• Parents are strong advocates and value the school's kindness, respect, and whole-child focus.
• Overall attendance is positive, with persistent absence below national figures over time.
• Early years curriculum is high quality, with well-trained staff and consistent progress.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not produce work of consistently high quality.
• Lesson tasks do not always sufficiently build and develop pupils' skills and knowledge over time.
• Persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils fluctuates, which can limit their progress.

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 Grange First School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 1.2% of pupils at Grange First School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Grange First School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 13.8% of pupils at Grange First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Grange First School received £6,610 and spent £6,993 for each of its 324 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £8,000 (£23 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 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne · Newcastle upon Tyne local authority: places and applications

Grange First School is part of Gosforth Schools' Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Regent Farm First School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Archibald First School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Gosforth Central Middle School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Gosforth East Middle School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Gosforth Park First School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• South Gosforth First School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Brunton First School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Havannah First School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Dinnington First School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

What is Grange First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Grange First School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Grange First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Grange First School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Grange First School have?

Grange First School has 333 pupils on roll.

What age range does Grange First School cover?

Grange First School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Grange First School?

Grange First School is at Norham Road, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE3 2NP.