Thomas Walling Primary Academy

Thomas Walling Primary Academy has improved significantly since its previous inspection, where it was labeled as having serious weaknesses. The school is now recognized as providing a good overall educational experience for its pupils. The leadership team has focused on creating a coherent and well-structured curriculum that sets high expectations and is effectively implemented by knowledgeable staff. Pupils are generally well-behaved, take pride in their learning, and have the opportunity to develop essential skills for personal development. Parents appreciate the warm environment and the support offered to all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Coherent and well-planned curriculum
• High-quality professional development for staff
• Strong teaching of phonics and reading
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Inclusive and respectful school environment
• Pupils demonstrate pride in their written work
• Strong pupil roles and responsibilities

Areas for Improvement

• Lack of established assessment practices in some foundation subjects
• Pupils struggle to articulate their understanding of equalities and protected characteristics

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 Thomas Walling Primary Academy attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.8% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Thomas Walling Primary Academy 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 Thomas Walling Primary Academy had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.3% 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, 19.7% of pupils at Thomas Walling Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 2024–25 Thomas Walling Primary Academy received £8,954 and spent £8,852 for each of its 406 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,022,000 (£2,522 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of The Laidlaw Schools Trust, income was £9,582 and spending £9,338 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 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne · Newcastle upon Tyne local authority: places and applications

Thomas Walling Primary Academy is part of The Laidlaw Schools Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Excelsior Academy Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Atkinson Road Primary Academy Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Westgate Hill Primary Academy Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Oxclose Primary Academy Washington
• Oxclose Community Academy Washington
• South Hylton Primary Academy Sunderland
• Academy 360 Sunderland
• Sedgefield Hardwick Primary Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• Sedgefield Community College Stockton-On-Tees

What is Thomas Walling Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thomas Walling Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Thomas Walling Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Thomas Walling Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Thomas Walling Primary Academy have?

Thomas Walling Primary Academy has 412 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thomas Walling Primary Academy cover?

Thomas Walling Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Thomas Walling Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Thomas Walling Primary Academy?

Thomas Walling Primary Academy is at Lindfield Avenue, Blakelaw, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE5 3PL.