Lord Blyton Primary School

Lord Blyton Primary School is a warm, highly inclusive school where pupils feel safe, respected and well supported. Inspectors found safeguarding standards met and judged the school to be fulfilling expected standards across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Leaders have created a nurturing culture with strong pastoral support, and pupils behave well, attend more consistently and take pride in their school. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage and above-average SEND, and it includes a resourced provision base for 12 pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Strengths include the priority given to reading and foundational knowledge, a well-structured phonics programme, an ambitious curriculum, and effective support for pupils with SEND. Children in the early years settle quickly and develop strong early language and phonics knowledge. Outcomes by the end of key stage 2 are close to national averages, and disadvantaged pupils' results improved in 2024/25. Pupils benefit from a coherent personal development programme, a wide range of enrichment and sport, and strong relationships with staff. However, attainment at the higher standard in Year 6 is variable, particularly in writing and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils still have attainment gaps in combined reading, writing and mathematics and in mathematics. Opportunities for deeper thinking and independent work are not consistently strong across all subjects, and Reception independent learning is not always planned precisely enough. Leaders should sharpen analysis of attendance, enrichment participation and the impact of their actions, and a few parents would like more timely communication. Academic ambition for a few pupils who access the resourced base for longer than expected could also be strengthened.

Strengths

• Warm, nurturing and inclusive culture where pupils feel safe, respected and valued.
• Pupils behave well, show respect and good manners, and engage positively in learning.
• Strong pastoral support and effective work with families and external professionals.
• Reading is central to the curriculum, supported by a well-structured phonics programme.
• Early years provision is well designed, with strong early language development and phonics teaching.
• Effective support and inclusive provision for pupils with SEND, including the SEMH resourced base.
• Thoughtful use of pupil premium and early identification help overcome barriers for vulnerable pupils.
• An ambitious curriculum with effective teaching and adaptation to pupils' needs.
• Attendance has improved and is now in line with national averages.
• Pupils' outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are close to national averages, and phonics attainment has improved.
• Pupils benefit from a coherent personal development programme that builds safety, healthy relationships and values.
• A rich range of sporting, leadership and enrichment opportunities broadens pupils' experiences.
• Governors know the school well and provide sharper oversight through a focused standards committee.
• Staff feel well supported, and subject leadership is well developed.

Areas for Improvement

• Attainment at the higher standard in Year 6 is variable, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• More pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, could attain highly; attainment gaps remain in combined reading, writing and mathematics and in mathematics.
• Opportunities for deeper thinking and independent work are not consistently established across all subjects.
• Some pupils are prevented from gaining the depth and breadth of knowledge they need to achieve highly.
• Independent learning opportunities in Reception are not always planned precisely enough to meet the range of children's needs.
• Leaders' analysis of school performance is not precise enough in a few areas to evaluate the impact of their actions.
• Analysis of attendance and enrichment participation is not incisive enough to ensure all pupils benefit.
• Attendance remains lower for some pupils and groups, although it is monitored closely.
• Academic ambition for a few pupils who access the resourced base longer than expected could be further strengthened.
• A few parents would like the school to improve the timeliness of communication.

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 Lord Blyton Primary School attended 94.5% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Lord Blyton 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 Lord Blyton Primary School had 17.6 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, 17.0% of pupils at Lord Blyton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 11 pupils.

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 Lord Blyton Primary School received £9,454 and spent £9,978 for each of its 212 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £238,000 (-£1,122 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 Lord Blyton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lord Blyton Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Lord Blyton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lord Blyton Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Lord Blyton Primary School have?

Lord Blyton Primary School has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lord Blyton Primary School cover?

Lord Blyton Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lord Blyton Primary School?

Lord Blyton Primary School is at Blyton Avenue, Simonside, Lord Blyton School, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9BN.