Balliol Primary School

Balliol Primary School has undergone a period of rapid improvement since its last inspection. Leaders have overhauled behaviour, attendance and the curriculum, and the school now meets expected standards in attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is supported by North East Learning Trust and has new leadership and governance arrangements, and inspectors concluded it no longer requires special measures. The main concern is achievement, which needs attention. Despite recent curriculum improvements and training, historic weaknesses and inconsistent teaching have left some older pupils with gaps in their knowledge, particularly in mathematics, history and science. End of key stage 2 outcomes in some subjects remain below national averages, and disadvantaged pupils have been particularly affected, though recent outcomes are moving closer to average. Persistent absence is also above national average, although improving rapidly. Notable strengths include calm and purposeful classrooms, positive staff-pupil relationships, effective early years provision, strong inclusion work for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and a well-considered personal development programme. Leaders have an accurate view of the school and staff feel well supported. Next steps focus on consistent application of writing skills across the curriculum, improving disadvantaged pupils' outcomes, continuing to reduce persistent absence, and broadening pupils' experiences beyond the local area.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe.
• Pupils behave well, classrooms are calm, and bullying is rare.
• Attendance has improved rapidly, with persistent absence reducing quickly.
• A new ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum prioritises reading, writing and mathematics.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and use clear modelling and retrieval practice.
• Early years provision is strong, especially in communication, language and phonics.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are identified promptly and supported effectively.
• Leadership has made many positive changes quickly and has an accurate view of the school.
• Staff feel well supported, consulted and proud to work at the school.
• The personal development curriculum is well planned, including online safety and healthy relationships.
• Pupils value diversity and have opportunities for leadership and after-school clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement needs attention because historic curriculum weaknesses and inconsistent teaching have left gaps in some older pupils' knowledge.
• Pupils' outcomes in some key stage 2 subjects remain below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment is below national averages, although improving.
• Pupils do not apply handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar consistently across all subjects.
• A small number of pupils are still persistently absent and miss the full benefit of curriculum improvements.
• Pupils have fewer opportunities to experience places and activities beyond their local area.
• Some pupils with SEND occasionally struggle to meet behaviour expectations, though support is provided.
• Recent improvements have not yet fully impacted on published outcomes.

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 Balliol Primary School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.3% 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, 4.1% of pupils at Balliol Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Balliol Primary School had 12.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.7% 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, 18.5% of pupils at Balliol Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 Balliol Primary School received £9,346 and spent £10,431 for each of its 150 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £152,000 (-£1,019 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 · North Tyneside local authority: places and applications

Balliol Primary School is part of The North Tyneside Learning Trust, which runs 29 schools. The nearest others:

• Benton Dene Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Longbenton High School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Benton Dene School Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Ivy Road Primary School Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Forest Hall Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Redesdale Primary School Wallsend
• Wallsend Jubilee Primary School Wallsend
• Beacon Hill School North Tyneside
• Amberley Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Western Community Primary School Wallsend

What is Balliol Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Balliol Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Balliol Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Balliol Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Balliol Primary School have?

Balliol Primary School has 157 pupils on roll.

What age range does Balliol Primary School cover?

Balliol Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Balliol Primary School?

Balliol Primary School is at Chesters Avenue, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE12 8QP.