Cragside Primary School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Cragside Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 94 schools in Newcastle-upon-Tyne with published results, and 474th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Newcastle upon Tyne (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cragside Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 95% of Year 6 pupils at Cragside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 95% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Newcastle upon Tyne and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 83% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Cragside Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put Cragside Primary School as their first choice and 184 named it as one of their preferences, for 51 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 Cragside Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cragside Primary School are Benton Park Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 84% reading, 88% maths); Ravenswood Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 86% reading, 81% maths); Balliol Primary School (0.9 miles, Inadequate, 57% reading, 64% maths); and Balliol Primary School (0.9 miles).
Cragside Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Benton Park Primary SchoolRavenswood Primary SchoolBalliol Primary SchoolBalliol Primary School
What parents say
176 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cragside Primary School (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 37% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (37%).
Who goes there
7.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (67%), Asian (18%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 57 pupils (13.9%) received SEN support and 9 (2.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Longbenton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1110 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cragside Primary School (s-bound), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Cragside Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Cragside Primary School are Jesmond Park Academy (0.3 miles), St Mary's Catholic School (0.6 miles), Benfield School (1.3 miles) and Gosforth Central Middle School (1.4 miles).
Jesmond Park AcademySt Mary's Catholic SchoolBenfield SchoolGosforth Central Middle School
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 February 2014, 12 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Cragside creates a nurturing 'Cragside family' where children are proud and happy to attend. Teachers deliver creative lessons with strong subject knowledge, ensuring all pupils - including those with additional needs - achieve extremely well. The school offers exceptional opportunities beyond the classroom, from musical instrument tuition to working with local engineers, preparing pupils fully for life beyond school.
Key Strengths
- Exceptionally well-considered and ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge over time with a sharp focus on vocabulary
- Inclusive provision for pupils with SEND, who receive swift identification and high-quality support
- Strong culture of reading with a woodland-themed library and highly skilled phonics teaching
- Exemplary behaviour across the school due to clear expectations and positive relationships
- Exceptional personal development programme including musical instrument tuition, Parliament week, trips, residentials, and leadership roles
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with school leaders prioritising pupil safety and creating an open, positive culture around safeguarding.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical instrument tuition, choir, Chinese calligraphy, Parliament week, performances at North East venue, university engineering partnerships, trips, residentials, breakfast club
Cragside Primary School is a nurturing and aspirational school where pupils thrive in an inclusive environment. Everyone shares the highest ambitions for pupils' learning, behaviour and success, which are well understood and realised.
At a Glance
7.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
176 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 95% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 88% to 95% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
9
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Cragside Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cragside Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cragside Primary School is in Newcastle upon Tyne; for families living there:
Apply to Newcastle upon Tyne 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
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
4 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 Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 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 Cragside Primary School
Will you get a place at Cragside Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cragside Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cragside Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cragside Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Newcastle upon Tyne, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cragside Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Newcastle upon Tyne 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
97%
Near capacity
407 pupils
420 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Across Newcastle upon Tyne council
Places available
3,365
Applications
2,886
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Newcastle upon Tyne council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
57
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
16.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
410
Total Pupils
201
Boys
209
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,731
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,972
Per pupil
£2195k
Total funding
£42k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
9.2%
Persistent absence
360
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 Cragside Primary School
What are SATs results like at Cragside Primary School?
Of the pupils at Cragside Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 95% reached the expected standard in reading and 95% did so in maths.
What is Cragside Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Cragside Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Cragside Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Cragside Primary School is oversubscribed, Newcastle upon Tyne allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Cragside Primary School?
Cragside Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Cragside Primary School?
Classes at Cragside Primary School average 29 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Cragside Primary School?
Cragside Primary School has around 410 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cragside Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at Cragside Primary School in 2024/25. 9.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cragside Primary School?
Apply through Newcastle upon Tyne's coordinated admissions process, naming Cragside 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 Cragside 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: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 4 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 Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cragside Primary School?
Cragside Primary School is at Cragside, High Heaton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE7 7EL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)