East Boldon Infants' School

East Boldon Infants' School is performing very strongly across every area inspected. Inspectors found a school with high expectations, an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, and a deeply inclusive culture. Pupils achieve well from their individual starting points, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and they leave well prepared for Year 3. Reading and phonics are particular strengths, with pupils learning to read quickly and fluently and phonics outcomes consistently above national averages. Attendance is well above national comparators, behaviour is excellent, and bullying is not a concern. The early years provision gives children a strong start, with a strong focus on communication, language, early reading and writing. Leaders, governors and staff work together effectively. Leaders have a detailed understanding of each cohort and use high-quality professional development and robust monitoring to address gaps and barriers. Inclusion is a notable strength: staff know pupils well and provide timely academic, social and emotional support. Pupils are kind, confident and engaged, and they benefit from a wide range of enrichment, leadership roles and pastoral support. Parents are overwhelmingly positive, and all survey respondents said they would recommend the school. The school's context includes a smaller-than-average infant cohort, low levels of free school meal eligibility and location deprivation, and no pupils with an EHC plan, though SEN support is close to the national average. Safeguarding standards are met. No significant weaknesses were identified; the next steps ask leaders to sustain their effective work in all areas and continue seeking improvement so that the school's transformational impact on pupils is maintained.

Strengths

• High expectations and a culture of achievement are embedded throughout the school.
• Pupils learn to read quickly and fluently, with phonics outcomes consistently exceeding the national average.
• All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve well from their individual starting points.
• Staff meticulously identify and quickly address gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills.
• Pupils produce high-quality work, remember learning well over time, and speak about it with depth and accuracy.
• The curriculum is carefully designed to prepare pupils for Year 3 and their next educational steps.
• Attendance is very high and improving, well above national comparators for all pupil groups.
• Pastoral and practical support quickly resolves most attendance concerns and is valued by parents.
• Pupils behave brilliantly; they are kind, polite, confident, attentive and respond well to teachers' cues.
• Poor behaviour is very rare and bullying is not a concern in the school.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced, coherent and ambitious in every subject.
• Oracy is woven through the curriculum, helping pupils talk about their learning extremely well.
• Early years provides a strong start, with priority given to communication, language, early reading and writing.
• Staff know every child well and provide timely support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders have a granular understanding of each cohort and provide high-quality professional development.
• Governors have an accurate picture of the school and hold leaders to account while considering staff wellbeing.
• Parents overwhelmingly support the school, with all survey respondents saying they would recommend it.
• Pupils embody the school's values, especially kindness, and are remarkably considerate.
• A wide range of extra-curricular activities and leadership roles are offered, with barriers to participation removed.
• High-quality pastoral support is provided to pupils and families, often going over and above.
• Pupils learn to manage their emotions and understand online safety, British values and equality.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

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 East Boldon Infants' School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.8% 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 East Boldon Infants' 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 East Boldon Infants' School had 23.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.5% 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, 11.7% of pupils at East Boldon Infants' School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 East Boldon Infants' School received £5,878 and spent £6,426 for each of its 163 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £78,000 (-£480 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 Tyneside · South Tyneside local authority: places and applications

What is East Boldon Infants' School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for East Boldon Infants' School is Strong standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was East Boldon Infants' School last inspected by Ofsted?

East Boldon Infants' School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does East Boldon Infants' School have?

East Boldon Infants' School has 163 pupils on roll.

What age range does East Boldon Infants' School cover?

East Boldon Infants' School for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is East Boldon Infants' School?

East Boldon Infants' School is at Front Street, East Boldon, Tyne and Wear, NE36 0SW.