Biddick Primary School

Biddick Primary School is performing well overall, with a consistent 'Good' rating across all inspection areas, indicating a solid educational foundation and supportive environment for its students. The school offers an exciting curriculum that captures pupils' interests, leading to positive attitudes toward learning and strong relationships between staff and students. Parents express high satisfaction, highlighting their children's thriving experiences at the school. Pupils excel in early reading, mathematics, and science, benefitting from effective teaching and support tailored to their individual needs. The leadership team is recognized for its passion and commitment to educational excellence. However, there is room for growth in extending the curriculum to better meet the needs of the most able pupils, particularly in foundation subjects, ensuring all students achieve their full potential.

Strengths

• Engaging and exciting curriculum
• Strong reading and mathematics instruction
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Positive relationships among staff and students
• High levels of parental satisfaction
• Pupils demonstrate respect and good behavior
• Commitment to continuous staff development

Areas for Improvement

• Need for further training in foundation subjects for teachers
• Most able pupils do not always achieve as well as they could in subjects other than English and mathematics

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 Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.9% 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 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 Biddick Primary School had 22.1 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, 16.5% of pupils at Biddick 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 Biddick Primary School received £6,358 and spent £6,348 for each of its 283 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £141,000 (£498 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 Washington · Sunderland local authority: places and applications

What is Biddick Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Biddick Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Biddick Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Biddick Primary School have?

Biddick Primary School has 285 pupils on roll.

What age range does Biddick Primary School cover?

Biddick Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Biddick Primary School?

Biddick Primary School is at Kirkham, Biddick Village, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7HQ.