Balliol Primary School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Balliol Primary School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance to pupils and their families."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Since the last inspection, leaders have introduced a new, ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced."

Early years - Expected standard. "The leadership of the early years has changed since the school was last inspected."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school identifies pupils' additional needs promptly, including the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Since the last inspection, the leadership and governance arrangements of the school have changed."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school provides a well-considered programme for pupils' personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Recent improvements to the curriculum combined with targeted staff training are making a positive difference to the progress that pupils make through the curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that pupils apply their handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge and skills across all curriculum areas so that the quality of their written work is consistent across all subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that outcomes for all disadvantaged pupils continue to rise to be nearer to national averages"; "Leaders should continue to tackle rates of persistent absence and build on improving trends so that all pupils benefit from the positive curriculum changes that they have made"; "Leaders should continue to broaden and deepen the range of experiences for pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world beyond their local area".

The school runs a breakfast club.

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils at Balliol Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in North Tyneside and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 50% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 13 families put Balliol Primary School as their first choice and 18 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Balliol Primary School are Balliol Primary School (under 0.1 miles); St Stephen's Catholic Primary School, Newcastle (0.3 miles, 87% reading, 97% maths); St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School (Aided) (0.3 miles, Good, 58% reading, 69% maths); and Benton Park Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 84% reading, 88% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Balliol Primary School.

Balliol Primary School is one of 31 schools run by The North Tyneside Learning Trust, an academy trust.

20 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Balliol Primary School (as of April 2026): 85% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).

45.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

Balliol Primary School had 14 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Four Lane Ends (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 220 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).

18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Benton Lane-Rushall Place (s-bound), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Balliol Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Balliol Primary School issued 15 suspensions, 8.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The secondary schools closest to Balliol Primary School are St Mary's Catholic School (0.6 miles), Longbenton High School (0.6 miles), Jesmond Park Academy (1.2 miles) and Gosforth East Middle School (1.4 miles).