Mortimer Primary School

Mortimer Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all areas of its educational provision. The school has a positive and respectful environment where pupils are eager to learn and help one another. The long gap since the last inspection, which was rated 'Outstanding', was due to exemption from routine inspections. This is the first routine inspection since the pandemic, and it acknowledges that the school has adapted well during these challenging times. Notable strengths include the school's effective focus on reading and the strong support provided for both general and SEND students.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate high levels of respect and cooperation.
• Behaviour in lessons is excellent with high expectations upheld.
• The curriculum is well structured in most subjects and supports effective learning.
• Reading is a strong focus, starting from early years with effective phonics instruction.
• The school involves pupils in the local community and promotes their personal development.

Areas for Improvement

• Some foundation subjects lack clarity in essential knowledge structures.
• Inconsistencies exist in the quality of recorded work across different 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 Mortimer Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Mortimer 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 Mortimer Primary School had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% 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, 18.2% of pupils at Mortimer Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.7% 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 Mortimer Primary School received £5,892 and spent £6,136 for each of its 581 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £10,000 (£18 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 South Shields · South Tyneside local authority: places and applications

What is Mortimer Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mortimer Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Mortimer Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mortimer Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Mortimer Primary School have?

Mortimer Primary School has 588 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mortimer Primary School cover?

Mortimer Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Mortimer Primary School?

Mortimer Primary School is at Mortimer Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0RW.