Biddick Primary School, Washington
Biddick Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Washington. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 17 schools in Washington with published results, and 1,455th of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Sunderland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Biddick Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Biddick Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Sunderland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 83% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Biddick Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Biddick Primary School as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Biddick Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Biddick Primary School are Wessington Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 47% reading, 40% maths); John F Kennedy Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 69% reading, 74% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Washington (0.5 miles, Good, 94% reading, 88% maths); and Barmston Village Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 64% maths).
Biddick Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Wessington Primary SchoolJohn F Kennedy Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, WashingtonBarmston Village Primary School
What parents say
66 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Biddick Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 99% 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 would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).
Who goes there
16.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 47 pupils (16.5%) received SEN support and 2 (0.7%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Road, about 3.6 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Titchfield Road (se-bound), 210 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Biddick Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Biddick Primary School are Biddick Academy (0.4 miles); St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington (0.6 miles); Oxclose Community Academy (0.9 miles); and Washington Academy (0.9 miles).
Biddick AcademySt Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, WashingtonOxclose Community AcademyWashington Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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); 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2019, 6 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Biddick Primary School creates a nurturing environment where pupils thrive academically and socially. Teachers support pupils with endless encouragement, and the school consistently achieves above-average results in reading, writing and maths. Pupils show excellent behaviour and develop a genuine love of learning, with particular success in reading where older pupils enthusiastically study Shakespeare.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve above national average in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2
- Highly effective teaching of early reading with phonics screening results consistently above national averages
- Well-planned curriculum with key knowledge and skills mapped across a two-year period to support mixed-aged classes
- Impeccable pupil behaviour with excellent attitudes to learning and respect for each other
- Rich personal development programme including the '50 opportunities' to explore wider interests
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent opportunities for pupils to apply knowledge and think deeply in some subjects, particularly science
- Early writing skills development is uneven - incorrect letter formation not always corrected quickly and writing scaffolds sometimes removed too soon
- School attendance rates have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, though improvements are starting to show
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Den building, rickshaw rides, bicycle track activities, drama study including Shakespeare plays, breakfast club, after-school childcare
Biddick Primary School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection. Pupils thrive in this happy school where staff provide endless support and have high expectations for learning.
At a Glance
16.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
66 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 83% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 85% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.8
Avg class size
21.8
Infant (KS1)
26.7
KS2
12
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Biddick Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Biddick Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Biddick Primary School is in Sunderland; for families living there:
Apply to Sunderland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 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 Primary School
Will you get a place at Biddick Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Biddick Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Biddick Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Biddick Primary School.
- Sunderland publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Biddick Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Biddick Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Sunderland 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
84%
Available places
266 pupils
315 places
49 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Washington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Washington
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,430
Applications
2,737
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
17.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
285
Total Pupils
148
Boys
137
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,223
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,213
Per pupil
£1477k
Total funding
£45k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
8.9%
Persistent absence
235
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 Biddick Primary School
What are SATs results like at Biddick Primary School?
Of the pupils at Biddick Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Biddick Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Biddick Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Biddick Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Biddick Primary School is oversubscribed, Sunderland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Biddick Primary School?
Biddick Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Biddick Primary School?
Classes at Biddick Primary School average 23.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Biddick Primary School?
Biddick Primary School has around 285 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Biddick Primary School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Biddick Primary School in 2024/25. 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Biddick Primary School?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Biddick Primary 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.
How many road collisions happen near Biddick Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Biddick Primary School?
Biddick Primary School is at Kirkham, Biddick Village, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7HQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)