St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close

St George’s Catholic Primary School has recently undergone significant changes and is performing well under new leadership. The school boasts a strong and positive culture where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to demonstrate kindness and respect. With high expectations set by leaders, the behaviour of students is exemplary, allowing for a focused learning environment. The school has also made commendable strides in improving its curriculum, particularly in literacy, and it emphasizes a love for reading through various initiatives.

Strengths

• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes among pupils
• Effective leadership with high aspirations for all students
• Strong focus on the quality of education, particularly in phonics and reading
• Well-developed curriculum across various subjects
• Inclusive approach supporting pupils with SEND
• Positive and engaging early years provision

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, the curriculum lacks clarity on essential knowledge and vocabulary

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 St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close 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 St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.0% 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, 33.7% of pupils at St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close received £8,935 and spent £9,000 for each of its 88 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £16,000 (£177 per pupil).

Across all 39 schools of Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, income was £7,320 and spending £7,580 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

St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close is part of Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, which runs 39 schools. The nearest others:

• St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Newcastle Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• St Cuthbert's High School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• St John Vianney Catholic Primary School, West Denton Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Benwell Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Fenham Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Sacred Heart Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Sacred Heart Catholic High School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• St Mark's Catholic Primary School, Westerhope Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• St Michael's Catholic Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

What is St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close last inspected by Ofsted?

St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close have?

St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close has 83 pupils on roll.

What age range does St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close cover?

St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close?

St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close is at Bell's Close, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 6XX.