Pegswood Primary School

Pegswood Primary is a small school emerging from a challenging period, with a new headteacher appointed in September 2026 and significant governance changes, including a vacant chair of governors. It serves a pupil population with above-average free school meals and SEN support. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school's early years provision and personal development work are notable strengths: children get a positive start, staff interactions are strong, phonics is taught well, and pupils are safe, kind and respectful with orderly behaviour and rare bullying. However, several areas require further work. Achievement is inconsistent, particularly in reading and writing and for disadvantaged pupils and some pupils with SEND, and persistent absence has risen above the national average, with marked increases for vulnerable groups. Recent curriculum improvements are not yet consistently embedded, teaching varies in how well staff check understanding and adapt to pupils' needs, and support for pupils with SEND is inconsistent. Leadership and governance oversight have not been robust enough, and staff training has not been sufficiently focused on priority areas. Leaders' recent actions are beginning to show early signs of impact, but it is too soon to see sustained improvement.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Early years provision has improved considerably and gives children a strong start, including those with SEND.
• Children benefit from high-quality interactions and well-designed activities that develop language, communication and basic skills.
• Phonics is taught well in the early years, with extra support for children who need to catch up.
• Pupils are safe, kind and respectful, and behaviour is orderly; bullying is rare.
• Staff build warm relationships and pupils have positive attitudes to school.
• Personal development is well planned, promoting resilience, respect, teamwork and access to outdoor and residential experiences.
• PSHE, online safety and mental health support are effective, including tailored nurture support.
• Pupils access a range of clubs and trips that develop interests, talents and wellbeing.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly.
• Mathematics attainment at the end of key stage 2 has been close to the national average over time.
• Leaders have clear systems for identifying pupils needing extra support and work well with other professionals.
• Staff feel listened to and positive about support for workload and wellbeing; parents value the school's care.
• Governors understand their responsibilities and know the community well.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement is inconsistent, with some pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, not making the progress they are capable of.
• Attainment in reading and writing at the end of key stage 2 has been inconsistent, and disadvantaged pupils' gaps are large.
• Some older pupils do not receive the targeted reading and writing support they need to catch up quickly.
• Persistent absence has increased and is above the national average, with marked increases for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Curriculum improvements, particularly in reading and writing, are not yet consistently embedded.
• Leaders have not checked thoroughly enough how well the new curriculum is being implemented.
• Teaching varies in how staff check understanding, identify gaps and adapt teaching, so some pupils move on before they are ready.
• Teachers do not consistently use agreed strategies to support pupils facing barriers to learning.
• Inclusion support is inconsistent; reviews of needs and the impact of support are not robust enough.
• Staff have not had sufficient training to meet pupils' precise needs, including SEND.
• Some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve or attend as well as they could because staff understanding of barriers is inconsistent.
• Governance oversight is not robust enough to support and challenge leaders, including on attendance and attainment.
• Staff training has not been sufficiently focused on priority areas such as adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with barriers.
• Pupils' knowledge of world faiths, British values and PSHE is not consistently detailed.
• Leadership capacity has been affected by a challenging period, slowing improvement in some areas.

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 Pegswood Primary School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.9% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Pegswood 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 Pegswood Primary School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 20.3% of pupils at Pegswood Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Pegswood Primary School received £8,950 and spent £8,590 for each of its 133 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £177,000 (£1,333 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 Morpeth · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Pegswood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pegswood Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Pegswood Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pegswood Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Pegswood Primary School have?

Pegswood Primary School has 133 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pegswood Primary School cover?

Pegswood Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pegswood Primary School?

Pegswood Primary School is at Longhirst Road, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 6XG.