Barley Mow Primary School, Chester le Street
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Barley Mow Primary School creates a vibrant, engaging learning environment where pupils behave exceptionally well and develop strong, confident relationships with staff and each other. Teachers provide high-quality feedback to help pupils improve their work, with particularly strong results in English and writing. The school invests heavily in staff development, which has directly improved teaching quality and pupil outcomes.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and relationships throughout the school, with very few instances of poor behaviour and no exclusions
- Strong improvements in English, especially writing and grammar, with 90% of pupils achieving expected level in grammar, punctuation and spelling
- High-quality professional development for staff that has improved teaching and pupil outcomes
- Vibrant learning environment that engages pupils and attracts visitors from other schools
- Effective safeguarding with comprehensive staff training and strong support for vulnerable pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Mathematics attainment remains below the national average and progress declined in 2018, particularly for the most able and disadvantaged pupils
- Challenge for the most able pupils needs strengthening across some lessons
- Attendance for pupils who frequently miss school remains slightly above the national average
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective, with strong culture of safety, rigorous staff checks, regular training including radicalisation prevention, and well-established emotional wellbeing provision.
Barley Mow Primary School continues to be good, with strong leadership that has maintained educational quality since the last inspection in 2014. The school has made significant improvements in English, particularly in writing and grammar, though mathematics remains an area for development.
At a Glance
48.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 60%. Maths has declined from 67% to 63%. Writing has remained stable at around 70%.
Class Sizes
20.8
Avg class size
18.0
Infant (KS1)
22.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
59%
Available places
155 pupils
262 capacity
107 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Chester le Street
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Chester le Street
Admissions Demand - Gateshead
Places available
2,504
Applications
1,789
Got 1st preference
96.9%
Got preferred school
99.8%
Primary admissions across Gateshead (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.38058%
Overall absence
22.1374%
Persistent absence
131
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Barley Mow Primary School
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