Ridgeway Primary Academy
| Type | Primary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Park Avenue South Shields Tyne and Wear NE34 8AB |
| Phone | 01914552865 |
| Reference Number | 139124 |
Ridgeway Primary Academy demonstrates a strong overall performance with notable strengths in safeguarding, personal development, and support for pupils with special educational needs. The school has effectively cultivated a safe and inclusive environment where pupils feel secure and are encouraged to thrive. Although leaders have instilled a positive culture, there are significant challenges in ensuring consistent academic achievement across all subjects, particularly reading and handwriting skills. Despite efforts from the leadership team to address these issues, many pupils still encounter gaps in essential knowledge and skills necessary for their future education.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 461 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 54.23%
Girls: 45.77% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 48.4% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 4.1% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 25.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 28 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 25.6 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 25 | 52 |
| 2 | 30 | 29 | 59 |
| 3 | 24 | 29 | 53 |
| 4 | 35 | 24 | 59 |
| 5 | 38 | 22 | 60 |
| 6 | 31 | 29 | 60 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 92% |
| African | 1.1% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.1% |
| White, Other | 0.9% |
| Indian | 0.9% |
| White & Asian | 0.4% |
| Unclassified | 0.4% |
| Pakistani | 0.4% |
| Chinese | 0.2% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.2% |
| Asian, Other | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Needs attention |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 03 Feb 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 03 Feb 2026 | School inspection |
| 22 Sep 2021 | School inspection |
| 17 Nov 2016 | Full inspection |
| 06 Nov 2014 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Effective safeguarding measures ensure pupils feel safe and supported.
- A well-designed early years curriculum promotes love for learning and effective interaction.
- Strong support for pupils with SEND from knowledgeable staff.
- Comprehensive personal development programme enhances pupils' teamwork and communication skills.
- Positive behaviour management fosters a calm and orderly learning environment.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils are not adequately prepared for the next stage of education due to gaps in foundational knowledge.
- Inconsistent attainment and progress across subjects, especially in reading and handwriting.
- Curriculum not consistently taught effectively, leading to missed learning opportunities.
- Leaders have not focused consistently on the right areas for improvement.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 51% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 2% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 102 | ||
| Maths | 103 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -2.2 | ||
| Writing | -2.5 | ||
| Maths | -2.9 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 20 | 1 |
| Third Preference | 10 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
Harton Primary School
East Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 6PF |
0.65 miles |
|
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, South Shields
Nash Avenue, Whiteleas, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 8NS |
0.69 miles |
|
Mortimer Primary School
Mortimer Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0RW |
0.9 miles |
|
Ashley Academy
Temple Park Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0QA |
0.91 miles |
|
St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, South Shields
Harton House Road East, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 6DZ |
0.94 miles |
|
Cleadon Church of England Academy
Boldon Lane, Cleadon, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR6 7RP |
1.07 miles |
|
Forest View Primary
Rembrandt Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 8RZ |
1.11 miles |
|
SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, South Shields
Olive Street, South Shields, NE33 4RH |
1.11 miles |
|
Stanhope Primary School
Gresford Street, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 4SZ |
1.12 miles |
|
Holy Trinity Church of England Academy (South Shields)
Brockley Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0TS |
1.15 miles |
|
Biddick Hall Junior School
Chesterton Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9SP |
1.23 miles |
|
Sea View Primary School
Norham Avenue North, Horsley Hill Community Campus, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 7TD |
1.26 miles |
|
Biddick Hall Infants' School
Galsworthy Road, Biddick Hall County Infant School, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9JD |
1.45 miles |
|
Laygate Community School
Laygate Lane, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 4JJ |
1.48 miles |
|
Monkton Infants' School
St Simon Street, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9SD |
1.56 miles |
|
Lord Blyton Primary School
Blyton Avenue, Simonside, Lord Blyton School, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9BN |
1.66 miles |
|
Helen Gibson Nursery School
North Lane, East Boldon, NE36 0DL |
1.7 miles |
|
Westoe Crown Primary School
Sea Winnings Way, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 3NS |
1.73 miles |
|
Monkton Academy
Dame Flora Robson Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9RD |
1.74 miles |
|
East Boldon Junior School
North Lane, North Road, Tyne & Wear, Tyne and Wear, NE36 0DL |
1.76 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Epinay Business and Enterprise School
Nevinson Avenue, South Shields, NE34 8BT |
0.5 miles |
|
Harton Academy
Lisle Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 6DL |
0.53 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's RC College
Temple Park Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0QA |
0.73 miles |
|
Park View School
Temple Park Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0QA |
0.82 miles |
|
Mortimer Community College
Reading Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 4UG |
0.96 miles |
|
Tyne Coast College
St George's Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 6ET |
1.2 miles |
|
Bamburgh School
Norham Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 7TD |
1.22 miles |
|
Boldon School
New Road, Boldon Colliery, Tyne and Wear, NE35 9DZ |
1.81 miles |
|
Whitburn Church of England Academy
Whitburn, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR6 7EF |
2.27 miles |
|
Monkwearmouth Academy
Torver Crescent, Seaburn Dene, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR6 8LG |
2.5 miles |
|
Red House Academy
Rutherglen Road, Red House Estate, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 5LN |
2.77 miles |
|
Jarrow School
Field Terrace, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, NE32 5PR |
2.96 miles |
|
Harry Watts Academy
Ramillies Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 5JA |
2.97 miles |
|
Norham High School
Alnwick Avenue, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 7BU |
3.44 miles |
|
Trinity Academy New Bridge
Craigshaw Road, Sunderland, SR5 3NF |
3.47 miles |
|
Kings Priory School
Huntington Place, Tynemouth, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 4RF |
3.48 miles |
|
Castle View Enterprise Academy
Cartwright Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 3DX |
3.73 miles |
|
Keelman's Way School
Campbell Park Road, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, NE31 1QY |
3.76 miles |
|
Hebburn Comprehensive School
Campbell Park Road, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, NE31 2QU |
3.89 miles |
|
Southlands School
Beach Road, Tynemouth, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 2QR |
3.95 miles |