Fordley Primary School, Cramlington
Fordley Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Cramlington. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 11 schools in Cramlington with published results, and 7,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 80% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Tyneside (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Fordley Primary School in detail
Fordley Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "As proud headteacher of our fantastic school, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Fordley Primary School, Nursery and Preschool (Fordley Flyers). We are a large, and growing, primary school and we sit at the heart of our amazing local community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include coding and Lego.
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at Fordley Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in North Tyneside and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Fordley Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put Fordley Primary School as their first choice and 48 named it as one of their preferences, for 42 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Fordley Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Fordley Primary School are Burradon Community Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 73% reading, 80% maths); Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 88% reading, 81% maths); Greenfields Community Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 82% reading, 74% maths); and Ss Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 82% reading, 79% maths).
Fordley Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Burradon Community Primary SchoolCragside CofE Controlled Primary SchoolGreenfields Community Primary SchoolSs Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary Academy
What parents say
36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Fordley Primary School (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
34.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (91%) and Asian (5%).
In 2026, 59 pupils (15.6%) received SEN support and 10 (2.7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Railway station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fern Drive-Number 92 (w-bound), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Fordley Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Tyneside (232).
Suspensions and exclusions
Fordley Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Fordley Primary School are North Gosforth Academy (1.2 miles) and Cramlington Learning Village (1.4 miles).
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school excels at teaching children to read fluently and with good comprehension, with most pupils reading at a high level by the end of primary school. Teachers are well-trained in their subjects and use effective strategies to help all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those needing extra support, make strong progress. Children benefit from warm, caring relationships with staff and develop positive attitudes to learning while learning about different faiths and respecting differences.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching with improved outcomes in 2024 after swift action to address previous weaknesses
- Excellent support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, with effective identification systems and external specialist involvement
- High-quality reading teaching that helps most pupils achieve highly in reading by the end of key stage 2
- Pupils develop positive character traits through the school's 'respect' values and feel confident reporting bullying issues
- Effective leadership and strong teamwork among staff, with governors providing good support and challenge
Areas for Improvement
- Staff do not consistently address weaknesses in early writing skills (motor skills, pencil grip, letter formation, sentence construction), leading pupils to progress to complex tasks before ready
- Some interactions between adults and children in early years are not precise enough and do not effectively develop children's language or learning
- Attendance remains an area of focus with some pupils not attending regularly enough despite school initiatives
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school ensures pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and in the community.
Extracurricular Activities
Coding, fencing, archery, educational visits including residential trips, nature reserve projects with local volunteers
Fordley Primary School is a Good school where pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff and feel safe and happy. The school provides an ambitious, broad curriculum designed to help all pupils achieve well.
At a Glance
34.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
36 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 declined from 87% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.1
Avg class size
18.5
Infant (KS1)
26.6
KS2
15
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 Fordley Primary School
Before and after school care
Fordley Primary 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 North Tyneside
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Fordley Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Fordley Primary School is in North Tyneside; for families living there:
Apply to North 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
1 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 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 Fordley Primary School
Will you get a place at Fordley Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Fordley Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Fordley Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Fordley Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from North Tyneside, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Fordley Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in North 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
80%
Available places
337 pupils
420 places
83 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cramlington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cramlington
Across North Tyneside council
Places available
2,516
Applications
2,025
Got 1st preference
91.7%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All primary applications across North Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
18.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
377
Total Pupils
198
Boys
179
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
22.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,871
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,658
Per pupil
£2145k
Total funding
£195k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
15.7%
Persistent absence
305
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
Fordley Primary School
Questions parents ask about Fordley Primary School
What are SATs results like at Fordley Primary School?
Of the pupils at Fordley Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Fordley Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Fordley Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Fordley Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Fordley Primary School is oversubscribed, North Tyneside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Fordley Primary School?
Fordley Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Fordley Primary School?
Classes at Fordley Primary School average 24.1 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 Fordley Primary School?
Fordley Primary School has around 377 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Fordley Primary School?
5.8% of sessions were missed at Fordley Primary School in 2024/25. 15.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Fordley Primary School?
Apply through North Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming Fordley 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.
Does Fordley Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Fordley Primary 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 Fordley Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 1 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Fordley Primary School?
Fordley Primary School is at Dudley Drive, Dudley, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 7AL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)