Kings Priory School

Kings Priory School is performing well, maintaining its status as a good school with high academic standards and an ambition for all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school offers a broad curriculum that supports pupils from early years through sixth form, leading to strong academic outcomes evidenced by above-average results in national tests and GCSEs. Pupils are generally well-behaved, engaged, and feel safe, with many opportunities available for extracurricular activities that foster their talents and interests. Despite the overall positive environment, there are areas for improvement, particularly concerning the behavior of a small number of secondary pupils who do not consistently demonstrate positive attitudes. While the majority of students adhere to the school's expectations and policies, the school recognizes the need to enforce greater consistency in behavior and respect among all pupils to enhance the learning environment further. This inspection marks the first routine evaluation since the pandemic, providing valuable insights into the school's recovery and ongoing development.

Strengths

• High academic standards across all key stages
• Broad and ambitious curriculum with effective teaching
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs
• Effective phonics teaching and early reading support
• Comprehensive personal development curriculum
• Active involvement in extracurricular activities

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils in the secondary phase do not display positive attitudes
• Inconsistencies in respect towards protected characteristics among some pupils

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 Kings Priory School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 4.6% of pupils at Kings Priory School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 7 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 Kings Priory School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 14.9% of pupils at Kings Priory School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Kings Priory School received £6,853 and spent £7,109 for each of its 1,565 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £717,000 (-£458 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Woodard Academies Trust, income was £7,873 and spending £7,857 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in North Shields · North Tyneside local authority: places and applications

Kings Priory School is part of Woodard Academies Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Polam Hall School Darlington
• St Peter's CofE Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Augustine Academy Maidstone
• The Sir Robert Woodard Academy Sompting
• The Littlehampton Academy Littlehampton

What is Kings Priory School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kings Priory School is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Kings Priory School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kings Priory School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Kings Priory School have?

Kings Priory School has 1,549 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kings Priory School cover?

Kings Priory School for pupils aged 4 to 18.

What are Kings Priory School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 57.6, and 68% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Kings Priory School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kings Priory School?

Kings Priory School is at Huntington Place, Tynemouth, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 4RF.