Bridgewater Primary School

Bridgewater Primary School is a highly inclusive and ambitious school at the heart of its community. Inspectors found behaviour and pupils’ personal development to be exceptional, with warm relationships, high attendance and a strong pastoral offer. The early years provision is particularly strong, and pupils benefit from a well-considered curriculum, rapid identification and support for pupils with SEND, and reading support that helps them become confident, fluent readers. An exceptional music curriculum, from Year 1 instrumental lessons to a Year 6 orchestra, and partnerships with city organisations give pupils wide opportunities. Leadership is effective and staff feel well supported. This was the school’s first routine inspection since 2013; it is part of the West End Schools’ Trust and has an early years assessment unit for pupils with SEND, though the linked childcare for zero- to three-year-olds was inspected separately. The main area to improve is assessment: staff do not routinely check precisely enough what pupils remember, so misconceptions and gaps are not always identified and learning across some curriculum areas is less secure than it could be. Safeguarding is effective.

Strengths

• Exceptional behaviour and warm, respectful relationships across the school community
• Personal development that prepares pupils well for life beyond school
• Highly inclusive ethos with quick identification and strong support for pupils with SEND
• Exceptional early years provision, including strong language development and stimulating environments
• An exceptional music curriculum with instrumental lessons and orchestra performances
• Strong partnerships with city venues and organisations that raise pupils’ aspirations
• Effective reading teaching and rapid catch-up support for pupils who need it
• High attendance supported by extensive pastoral care and practical help for families
• Well-considered curriculum and high expectations for all pupils
• Staff feel supported and proud to work in a cohesive team
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Staff do not always identify individual misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge precisely enough
• Pupils’ learning across some aspects of the curriculum is not as secure as it could be

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 Bridgewater Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.9% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Bridgewater 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 Bridgewater Primary School had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.3% 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, 26.6% of pupils at Bridgewater Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.0% 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 Bridgewater Primary School received £8,312 and spent £8,349 for each of its 466 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £300,000 (£644 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

Bridgewater Primary School is part of West End Schools Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Canning Street Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• St Johns Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Broadwood Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Wingrove Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Hawthorn Primary School Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Lemington Riverside Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Moorside Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

What is Bridgewater Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bridgewater Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Bridgewater Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bridgewater Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Bridgewater Primary School have?

Bridgewater Primary School has 466 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bridgewater Primary School cover?

Bridgewater Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bridgewater Primary School?

Bridgewater Primary School is at Bridgewater, Delaval Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 6NL.