Archibald First School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Archibald First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, part of Gosforth Schools' Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Newcastle upon Tyne (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Archibald First School in detail
Getting a place at Archibald First School
For September 2026 entry, 77 families put Archibald First School as their first choice and 247 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 18 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Archibald First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Archibald First School are St Charles' Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, 93% reading, 90% maths); Grange First School (0.5 miles, Good); Archbishop Runcie CofE First School (0.6 miles, Good); and Regent Farm First School (0.6 miles, Good).
St Charles' Catholic Primary SchoolGrange First SchoolArchbishop Runcie CofE First SchoolRegent Farm First School
The trust
Archibald First School is one of 10 schools run by Gosforth Schools' Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
143 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Archibald First School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (83%).
Who goes there
6.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 36 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 14 (4.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Regent Centre (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 530 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Salters Road-Linden Road (sw-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Archibald First School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 188 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Newcastle upon Tyne (318).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Archibald First School issued 1 suspension, 0.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Archibald First School are Gosforth Junior High Academy (under 0.1 miles), Gosforth Central Middle School (0.4 miles), Gosforth Academy (0.4 miles) and Gosforth East Middle School (0.7 miles).
Gosforth Junior High AcademyGosforth Central Middle SchoolGosforth AcademyGosforth East Middle School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Archibald First School creates a welcoming community where children love learning and behaviour is exceptional. Staff build strong relationships with pupils and provide carefully considered support, including excellent help for children with additional needs. The curriculum is ambitious and well-planned, with activities that help children understand important concepts and feel proud of their contribution to school life.
Key Strengths
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and outstanding personal development with strong relationships between staff and pupils
- Ambitious and broad curriculum with effective knowledge-building strategies like 'link it' activities
- Highly inclusive approach with excellent early identification and support for pupils with SEND
- Outstanding early years provision with effective communication and reading support from the start
- Strong focus on pupils' health, safety, wellbeing and understanding of equality and British values
Areas for Improvement
- In a small number of subjects, learning activities are not matched effectively to the knowledge and skills pupils need to know, limiting their ability to build on previous learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
School visits, visitors to school, art galleries and places of worship visits, 'Waste warriors' and 'art ambassadors' programmes, mud kitchen activities, den building
Archibald First School is a warm and caring school where pupils are eager to learn and behaviour is exemplary. The school has an ambitious and broad curriculum with high expectations, and pupils rise to these ambitions and achieve well.
At a Glance
6.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
143 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
29.1
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Archibald First School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Archibald First School.
- Schools Out ChildcareAt the school · Not yet graded
- Epic Camps GJHA150m away · Not yet graded
- Junior All Stars Ltd150m away · Not yet graded
- Captain Ted's300m away · Not yet graded
- Rugby Minis NSB350m away · Not yet graded
- Gosforth Kumon study centre370m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Archibald First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Archibald First School is in Newcastle upon Tyne; for families living there:
Apply to Newcastle upon Tyne for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 41 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Archibald First School
Will you get a place at Archibald First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Archibald First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Archibald First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Archibald First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Newcastle upon Tyne, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Archibald First School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Newcastle upon Tyne got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
301 pupils
300 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Across Newcastle upon Tyne council
Places available
3,365
Applications
2,886
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Newcastle upon Tyne council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
15.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
332
Total Pupils
183
Boys
149
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,445
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,969
Per pupil
£1628k
Total funding
£32k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
4.0%
Persistent absence
247
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Archibald First School
What is Archibald First School's Ofsted rating?
Archibald First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Archibald First School?
No fixed boundary. When Archibald First School is oversubscribed, Newcastle upon Tyne allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Archibald First School?
Archibald First School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Archibald First School?
Classes at Archibald First School average 29.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Archibald First School?
Archibald First School has around 332 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Archibald First School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Archibald First School in 2024/25. 4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Archibald First School?
Apply through Newcastle upon Tyne's coordinated admissions process, naming Archibald First School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Archibald First School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Schools Out Childcare (registered, not yet graded). There are 5 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Archibald First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 41 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Archibald First School?
Archibald First School is at Archibald Street, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE3 1EB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)