Knop Law Primary School

Knop Law Primary School is a warm and welcoming primary where pupils are proud of their school and most achieve well. This was its first section 5 inspection; it converted to academy status in January 2024 and is part of the ONE (Owl North East) Trust, although its predecessor was previously judged outstanding in 2013. Under the current inspection framework the school did not receive an overall effectiveness grade, but inspectors found strong provision across the key judgements, with personal development standing out as exceptional. The curriculum is ambitious and engaging, reading is prioritised from Reception, pupils with SEND are well understood and supported, and behaviour and attitudes are positive. Leadership is reflective, governance knows the school well, staff feel supported, and safeguarding is effective. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips, leadership opportunities and character-development work. The main areas for improvement are assessment in some subjects, where staff do not consistently check whether pupils have learned and remembered the intended curriculum, and the early years environment, where children have too few opportunities to apply learning independently and can be over-reliant on adult-led activity. The school has begun to address the early years issue.

Strengths

• Warm, welcoming school community where pupils are proud to attend
• Aspirational and engaging curriculum that excites pupils about learning
• Strong reading provision, with children learning to read early and effective support for those who need extra help
• Pupils with SEND are well understood and benefit from adapted curriculum delivery
• Exceptional personal development offer that builds character, civic responsibility and understanding of equalities
• Calm and purposeful behaviour, with polite pupils and effective behaviour systems
• Reflective leadership team committed to a high-quality, all-round education
• Governance has an accurate picture of the school and staff feel well supported
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, staff do not consistently check whether pupils have learned and remembered the intended curriculum, so gaps in understanding are not always addressed
• The early years environment does not provide enough opportunities for children to explore, play and apply learning independently, leaving some over-reliant on adult-led activities

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 Knop Law Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Knop Law 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 Knop Law Primary School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.0% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Knop Law Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% 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 Knop Law Primary School received £6,229 and spent £6,063 for each of its 401 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £208,000 (£519 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of One (Owl North East) Trust, income was £6,993 and spending £6,716 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

Knop Law Primary School is part of One (Owl North East) Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Milecastle Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• West Denton Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Westerhope Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Newburn Manor Primary School Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Waverley Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Simonside Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Throckley Primary School Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

What is Knop Law Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Knop Law Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Knop Law Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Knop Law Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Knop Law Primary School have?

Knop Law Primary School has 398 pupils on roll.

What age range does Knop Law Primary School cover?

Knop Law Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Knop Law Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Knop Law Primary School?

Knop Law Primary School is at Hillhead Parkway, Chapel House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE5 1DS.