Biddick Hall Infants' School, South Shields
Biddick Hall Infants' School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in South Shields. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. It was 92% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to South Tyneside (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Biddick Hall Infants' School in detail
Biddick Hall Infants' School in its own words
In its own words: "Our vision is to create a happy environment in which children can feel safe and where enjoyment and achievement are promoted and valued. We strive to stimulate, guide and encourage all children to realise their full potential, develop a healthy lifestyle and make a positive contribution to the community in which they live."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Its purpose is to give you an insight into daily life in our school, keep you informed of any upcoming events and share with you our school highlights. We are all very proud of our School where everyone works hard to promote a love of learning in a safe, happy environment in which every person matters."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Biddick Hall Infants' School
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put Biddick Hall Infants' School as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 41 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Biddick Hall Infants' School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Biddick Hall Infants' School are Biddick Hall Junior School (0.3 miles, Good, 89% reading, 100% maths); Monkton Infants' School (0.3 miles, Good); Holy Trinity Church of England Academy (South Shields) (0.5 miles, Good, 66% reading, 79% maths); and Monkton Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 63% reading, 56% maths).
Biddick Hall Junior SchoolMonkton Infants' SchoolHoly Trinity Church of England Academy (South Shields)Monkton Academy
Who goes there
50.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 59 pupils (26.9%) received SEN support and 8 (3.7%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Biddick Hall Infants' School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Brockley Whins (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 840 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Galsworthy Road-Bunyan Avenue (w-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Biddick Hall Infants' School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Biddick Hall Infants' School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Biddick Hall Infants' School are Boldon School (0.8 miles) and St Wilfrid's RC College (1.2 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2022 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at teaching children to read through expert phonics instruction and a genuine love of books. Staff are trained to quickly spot when any child needs extra help and provide skilled support. Children feel genuinely safe and happy here, with a positive school culture where treating others with respect is central to everything the school does.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching and strong reading culture - pupils read books matched to their level and staff invest in quality texts
- Skilled support for pupils with special educational needs through the 'Rainbow Room' and quick identification of needs
- Well-behaved pupils who know how to treat others equally and feel safe reporting concerns
- Consistent mathematics teaching with regular opportunities for problem-solving and revisiting prior learning
- Rich experiences and trips that support curriculum learning, such as local geography visits
Areas for Improvement
- Some lesson activities do not match the learning objective or subject being taught, meaning pupils miss important knowledge
- Teachers need clearer focus on what pupils should have learned by the end of each lesson
- Curriculum development is uneven across subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - leaders know pupils and families well, allowing personalised support to be put in place quickly, and all staff understand their responsibilities with recent training.
Extracurricular Activities
Judo, multi-skills sports, choir, school council, playground buddy roles, reading shed activities
Biddick Hall Infants' School continues to be a good school where pupils feel happy and safe, with the school's three core rules of 'stay safe, show respect and achieve' embedded throughout. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and have planned a curriculum with real consideration of the school's context.
At a Glance
50.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
27.7
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Biddick Hall Infants' School
Information from Healthy Minds Team
8 Sep 2026
July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Water Safety
15 Jul 2026
Biddick Family Hub Workshop
15 Jul 2026
End of Year Questionnaire
8 Jul 2026
Welcome to Reception Presentation
7 Jul 2026
From Biddick Hall Infants' School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Biddick Hall Infants' School
Before and after school care
Biddick Hall Infants' School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in South Tyneside
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Biddick Hall Infants' School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Biddick Hall Infants' School is in South Tyneside; for families living there:
Apply to South Tyneside for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 South Tyneside is 13 (the median across 64 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 Biddick Hall Infants' School
Will you get a place at Biddick Hall Infants' School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Biddick Hall Infants' School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Biddick Hall Infants' School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Biddick Hall Infants' School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from South Tyneside, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Biddick Hall Infants' School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in South Tyneside 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
92%
Near capacity
165 pupils
180 places
15 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - South Shields
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for South Shields
Across South Tyneside council
Places available
1,822
Applications
1,375
Got 1st preference
96.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across South Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
30.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
219
Total Pupils
96
Boys
123
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,995
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,792
Per pupil
£1362k
Total funding
£161k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
12.6%
Persistent absence
111
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
Biddick Hall Infants' School
Questions parents ask about Biddick Hall Infants' School
What is Biddick Hall Infants' School's Ofsted rating?
Biddick Hall Infants' School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Biddick Hall Infants' School?
No fixed boundary. When Biddick Hall Infants' School is oversubscribed, South Tyneside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Biddick Hall Infants' School?
Biddick Hall Infants' School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at Biddick Hall Infants' School?
Classes at Biddick Hall Infants' School average 26.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Biddick Hall Infants' School?
Biddick Hall Infants' School has around 219 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Biddick Hall Infants' School?
5% of sessions were missed at Biddick Hall Infants' School in 2024/25. 12.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Biddick Hall Infants' School?
Apply through South Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming Biddick Hall Infants' 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 Biddick Hall Infants' School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Biddick Hall Infants' School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Biddick Hall Infants' School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 South Tyneside is 13 (the median across 64 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Biddick Hall Infants' School?
Biddick Hall Infants' School is at Galsworthy Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 9JD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)