Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School

Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School is a caring and inclusive school performing at the expected standard across all inspected areas, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders have a clear focus on achievement, and pupils generally leave well prepared for their next steps. Reading outcomes are a particular strength, including for disadvantaged pupils, and phonics, early mathematics and early years provision are effective. Attendance is above the national average after a sustained focus on persistent absence, and pupils behave well in calm, orderly classrooms. Inclusion is a notable strength: pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are well supported, including through personalised provision such as The Nest, and they access the school's full wider offer. Personal development is well considered, with pupils developing responsibility, resilience and an understanding of life in modern Britain. The school is a Church of England primary in the Diocese of Newcastle and has recently expanded to include provision for three-year-olds. It uses three alternative provisions, two of which are unregistered.

Strengths

• Leaders maintain a sharp focus on ensuring all pupils achieve well.
• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, often achieve better than national peers in reading.
• Gaps in pupils' knowledge are quickly identified and successfully addressed.
• Pupils with SEND progress well from their starting points and are generally well supported.
• Effective phonics teaching helps children gain confidence and fluency.
• Year 1 phonics screening check outcomes were high.
• Revised mathematics curriculum is improving Year 4 multiplication tables check outcomes.
• Pupils build subject-specific vocabulary and talk confidently about their learning.
• Overall attendance is above the national average, with persistent absence reduced.
• Clear expectations support calm and orderly classrooms, and most pupils behave well.
• The curriculum is well sequenced from early years to Year 6 with a focus on reading, writing and mathematics.
• Teaching typically supports pupils to remember important knowledge before moving on.
• Staff generally adapt lessons appropriately for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Early years staff build warm relationships and children settle quickly and engage positively.
• The early years curriculum is carefully planned and adapted, and most children reach a good level of development.
• Leaders have created a culture where support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils is prioritised.
• Personalised support and external expertise effectively meet pupils' needs.
• Pupil premium funding is used appropriately, and disadvantaged pupils typically achieve highly and attend well.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for improvement.
• Staff feel valued, and professional development is thoughtfully planned and effective.
• Governors fulfil their statutory duties and are committed to inclusion.
• The personal development programme helps pupils understand life in modern Britain.
• Pastoral support is effective, and pupils feel safe, happy and supported.
• A range of clubs, visits and international links enrich pupils' experiences.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND access the full wider offer.

Areas for Improvement

• Leaders and governors do not review systems and records with sufficient rigour.
• Some oversight processes are not robust enough, limiting how closely governors hold leaders to account.
• Reporting and recording of concerns are not effectively and continually reviewed.
• Recent curriculum changes are not yet fully embedded across all subjects and year groups.
• Highly effective teaching is not consistently established in every subject and year group to ensure more pupils achieve highly.
• Feedback to pupils sometimes does not help them improve their work or deepen their knowledge.
• A few pupils occasionally need reminders to stay on task in lessons.
• Improvements in attendance need to be sustained over time to secure consistently high attendance.
• Disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes in 2024/25 were below the national average, with a -36 percentage point gap.
• Disadvantaged pupils' mathematics outcomes show a negative gap across recent years.

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 Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.2% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Cragside CofE Controlled 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 Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.7% 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, 17.6% of pupils at Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School received £6,823 and spent £7,061 for each of its 336 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £40,000 (£120 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 Cramlington · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School have?

Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School has 336 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School cover?

Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School?

Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School is at Westloch Road, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 6LW.