Biddick Hall Junior School

Biddick Hall Junior School is a highly effective junior school where pupils achieve exceptionally well academically and socially. The curriculum is highly ambitious and precisely sequenced, and all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve very well. Published outcomes are well above national averages in English and mathematics, and pupils' knowledge in science and religious education is particularly impressive. Behaviour is exceptional, pupils feel safe and proud of their school, and personal development is exemplary through themed weeks, leadership roles and a wide range of character-building opportunities. Leadership and management are outstanding. Staff are highly effective, well supported and empowered to improve practice, and governors work well with leaders to provide resources. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is attendance: too many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are absent too often, persistent absence is high, and existing initiatives are not making sufficient difference. This means some pupils miss valuable learning and enrichment, and staff attention to returning absent pupils can disrupt others' learning. This was the school's second routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a graded inspection under section 5, and no overall effectiveness grade was given because schools inspected from September 2024 do not receive one.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious curriculum enables all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to achieve exceptionally well.
• Published outcomes are well above national averages in English and mathematics.
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and supported to become independent and achieve very well.
• Behaviour is exceptional, with pupils focused, respectful and responsive to clear boundaries.
• Personal development is exemplary, including themed weeks, British values and leadership roles.
• Staff are highly effective, well supported and empowered to improve practice.
• Governors work effectively with staff to provide the resources pupils need.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Pupils feel safe, settle quickly and are proud of their school.

Areas for Improvement

• Too many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are persistently absent and miss valuable learning.
• Current attendance initiatives are not making sufficient difference, and persistent absence remains high.
• Staff attention to returning absent pupils can disrupt teaching and learning for other pupils.

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 Biddick Hall Junior School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Biddick Hall Junior 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 Biddick Hall Junior School had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 24.6% of pupils at Biddick Hall Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% 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 Biddick Hall Junior School received £8,926 and spent £8,844 for each of its 211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £27,000 (£129 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 Biddick Hall Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Biddick Hall Junior School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Biddick Hall Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Biddick Hall Junior School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Biddick Hall Junior School have?

Biddick Hall Junior School has 211 pupils on roll.

What age range does Biddick Hall Junior School cover?

Biddick Hall Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Biddick Hall Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Biddick Hall Junior School?

Biddick Hall Junior School is at Chesterton Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9SP.