Cragside Primary School

Cragside Primary School is a nurturing, aspirational and highly inclusive school where pupils thrive. Inspectors found the school outstanding in every key judgement: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils are proud and happy to attend, behaviour is exemplary, attendance is high, and pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and well supported to achieve high-quality work. The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and delivered creatively, with a strong focus on vocabulary and effective assessment. Reading is celebrated and well taught, including a structured phonics approach with quick support for pupils who struggle. Children in the early years get off to a flying start, and the personal development offer is exceptionally rich, including music, clubs, trips, leadership roles and work with external agencies. Leaders and governors share a clear vision, staff are well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since February 2014, having previously been exempt because it was judged outstanding. Under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade was awarded. No areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud, happy and behave exceptionally well across lessons and social times.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and creatively delivered, with a strong focus on vocabulary.
• Pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and well supported through adult help and curriculum adaptations.
• Children in the early years get off to a flying start, particularly in spoken language and vocabulary.
• Reading is celebrated and well taught, with structured phonics and quick catch-up support.
• Personal development is exceptional, with a wide range of clubs, trips, music and leadership opportunities.
• Pupils learn to respect and celebrate diversity and are well prepared for life beyond school.
• Leadership is clear and ambitious, with effective governor support and challenge.
• Staff receive extensive training and feel valued, with strong consideration for well-being and workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Cragside Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.2% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Cragside Primary 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 Cragside Primary School had 24.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.6% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Cragside Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Cragside Primary School received £6,032 and spent £6,232 for each of its 411 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £91,000 (£220 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).

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What is Cragside Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cragside Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Cragside Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cragside Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Cragside Primary School have?

Cragside Primary School has 410 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cragside Primary School cover?

Cragside Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Cragside Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cragside Primary School?

Cragside Primary School is at Cragside, High Heaton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE7 7EL.