Blackfell Primary School, Washington

Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~424m)Possible (~606m)Unlikely (~788m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Danny Patterson
Pupils:142 / 246 capacity
LA:Sunderland
Phone:01919171665
Address:Knoulberry, Blackfell, Washington, NE37 1HA
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 7 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 3 February 2026View full report
URN:108833
UKPRN:10068926
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Washington and Gateshead South
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Blackfell Primary School is a welcoming, inclusive place where every child feels valued. Staff go above and beyond to support pupils' wellbeing and behaviour through clear expectations and targeted help. The school excels at supporting pupils with additional needs and works closely with families to help every child succeed.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve significantly higher than national average in Year 4 multiplication check
  • Strong focus on handwriting, spelling and grammar with improved quality of work
  • Effective systems for attendance with positive impact on reducing persistent absence
  • Clear and simple behaviour policy helping all pupils understand expectations
  • Strong inclusion and support for pupils with SEND, with staff receiving appropriate training

Areas for Improvement

  • Some pupils in key stage 1 have gaps in phonics knowledge that are not addressed quickly enough
  • Older pupils in mixed-year groups have fewer opportunities to extend their learning and develop deeper understanding
  • Teaching does not always identify misconceptions quickly enough, and some older pupils do not recall basic number facts securely
  • Early years provision does not give children enough opportunities to independently apply their reading, writing and mathematical knowledge
  • Vocabulary teaching in early years could be more clearly structured

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and acted upon.

Extracurricular Activities

After-school clubs, visits, healthy heads support, clothes swap shop, reading library project

Blackfell Primary School provides a welcoming and inclusive environment where pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages by the end of key stage 2. The school has strong safeguarding practices and a positive culture focused on pupil wellbeing and respect.

At a Glance

39.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+22ppMaths+18ppWriting+17pp

Reading has improved from 73% to 95%. Maths has improved from 67% to 85%. Writing has improved from 73% to 90%.

Class Sizes

19.4

Avg class size

16.0

Infant (KS1)

22.0

KS2

7

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Knoulberry Road - Shunner Close (S-Bound)
107m · 2 min walk
Thirlmoor (S-Bound)
133m · 2 min walk
Knoulberry Road (S-Bound)
344m · 6 min walk
Crowther Industrial Estate (E-Bound)
434m · 7 min walk
Blackfell Road (E-Bound)
477m · 8 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

58%

Available places

142 pupils

246 capacity

104 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Washington

Low pressure
New homes approved:825
Projected new pupils:206

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Washington

Admissions Demand - Sunderland

Low demand0.80x oversubscription

Places available

3,460

Applications

2,785

Got 1st preference

95.4%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across Sunderland (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

3 February 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
23 November 2021
9 November 2016

House Prices

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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.

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.89626%

Overall absence

11.01695%

Persistent absence

118

Enrolments

Authorised3.35814%
Unauthorised1.53811%
Persistent (10%+)11.01695%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.85085%
18/19
2.39589%
20/21
6.46479%
21/22
5.58911%
22/23
5.58065%
23/24
4.89626%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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