Forest Hall Primary School

Forest Hall Primary School is an inclusive and welcoming school where warm relationships and effective early years and inclusion provision are notable strengths. Safeguarding standards are met. Children in early years make positive gains from their starting points, including disadvantaged children and those with SEND, and pupils generally feel safe and are well supported through enrichment and sporting opportunities. Published outcomes in national assessments are broadly close to national averages, with some positive results in phonics and mathematics. However, the inspection identifies several areas needing attention. Teaching and curriculum delivery are inconsistent, so some pupils do not secure important knowledge in reading, writing, mathematics and handwriting, and more able pupils are not stretched enough. Pupils with SEND experience the same inconsistencies as their peers. Attendance has recently declined, persistent absence is high, and lateness disrupts learning. Behaviour is usually calm but some pupils are not fully engaged and hurtful name-calling occasionally recurs. Leadership and governance also need attention. Leaders know the school's context and are committed to inclusion, but oversight of improvement work lacks rigour and precision, and some leaders lack capacity to enact strategic plans or monitor their areas effectively. Personal development is mixed, with gaps in pupils' understanding of fundamental British values, protected characteristics, cultural diversity and some aspects of personal safety. The school is preparing for a merger and move to a new site from September 2026, which is a significant context for its work.

Strengths

• Warm, nurturing relationships underpin early years provision and help children start school confidently.
• Early years provision is expected standard, with a strong focus on language development, phonics and early mathematics.
• The school is inclusive, with effective adaptation and support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Staff work closely with parents, carers and external professionals to meet individual needs.
• Pupils feel safe and know trusted adults will deal with unkindness.
• Safeguarding standards are met.
• Pupils benefit from rich enrichment, sporting clubs, trips and leadership opportunities.
• Young carers are well supported through a dedicated club.
• Published outcomes in phonics, multiplication tables and end-of-key-stage tests are broadly close to national averages.
• Governors carry out statutory duties and provide support and challenge.
• Parents and carers are highly supportive and find staff approachable.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching leads to uneven progress and gaps in reading, writing, mathematics and handwriting.
• Teachers do not consistently ensure pupils secure important knowledge.
• More able pupils are not routinely stretched or ambitious enough in their learning.
• Pupils with SEND experience the same teaching inconsistencies as their peers.
• Checks on learning are not always used effectively to address misconceptions.
• Attendance has recently declined and persistent absence is stubbornly high.
• Strategies to improve attendance are not effective enough, and lateness disrupts learning.
• Some pupils are not fully engaged in lessons.
• Some pupils occasionally use hurtful names towards others.
• Pupils' understanding of fundamental British values, protected characteristics and cultural diversity is underdeveloped.
• Pupils are less sure about some aspects of personal safety, including community safety and peer pressure.
• Leaders' oversight and checks on improvement work lack rigour and precision.
• Some leaders lack capacity to lead responsibilities, make strategic decisions and monitor quality.
• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent across subjects and year groups, limiting recall in some subjects.

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 Forest Hall Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.2% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Forest Hall 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 Forest Hall Primary School had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.3% 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, 20.9% of pupils at Forest Hall Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Forest Hall Primary School received £8,388 and spent £8,246 for each of its 143 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £59,000 (-£413 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

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

• Ivy Road Primary School Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Benton Dene School Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Benton Dene Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Longbenton High School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Amberley Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Balliol Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Redesdale Primary School Wallsend
• Wallsend Jubilee Primary School Wallsend
• Beacon Hill School North Tyneside
• Burradon Community Primary School Cramlington

What is Forest Hall Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Forest Hall Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Forest Hall Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Forest Hall Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Forest Hall Primary School have?

Forest Hall Primary School has 148 pupils on roll.

What age range does Forest Hall Primary School cover?

Forest Hall Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Forest Hall Primary School?

Forest Hall Primary School is at Ivy Road, Forest Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE12 9AP.