Holywell Village First School, Whitley Bay
Holywell Village First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Whitley Bay. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. It was 92% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Holywell Village First School in detail
Holywell Village First School in its own words
In its own words: "This academic year we have five classes and one part-time nursery class. All classes are of mixed ability and are composed of both boys and girls. Teachers meet regularly to plan and discuss curriculum issues ensuring continuity and progression throughout school."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Holywell Village First School is situated in the small village of Holywell in South East Northumberland. Our site is surrounded by rolling farmland and is close to natural amenities such as Holywell Dene and Holywell Pond. We are extremely lucky to have beautiful school grounds and are constantly seeking ways in which to improve them."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and photography.
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Holywell Village First School
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put Holywell Village First School as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 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 Holywell Village First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Holywell Village First School are Seaton Delaval First School (1.1 miles, Good); New Hartley First School (1.4 miles, Good); Seaton Sluice First School (1.6 miles, Good); and Whitley Lodge First School (1.8 miles, Good).
Seaton Delaval First SchoolNew Hartley First SchoolSeaton Sluice First SchoolWhitley Lodge First School
What parents say
50 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Holywell Village First School (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
9.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Mixed (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Seaton Delaval Railway Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Seaton Crescent (at), 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Holywell Village First School issued 2 suspensions, 1.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Holywell Village First School are Whytrig Middle School (0.9 miles), Seaton Valley High School (0.9 miles), Seaton Sluice Middle School (1.7 miles) and Wellfield Middle School (1.8 miles).
Whytrig Middle SchoolSeaton Valley High SchoolSeaton Sluice Middle SchoolWellfield Middle School
Sources: 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 September 2010, 16 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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will thrive in a school where learning is genuinely exciting and memorable - from planning cycle routes using maps to visits from local authors. Staff are highly skilled at identifying what each child needs to succeed, particularly those requiring extra support. Children develop into confident, respectful learners who understand the world around them and their place in it.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional reading teaching with consistent phonics approach and high levels of pupil confidence and fluency
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with rich, memorable learning experiences that help pupils link ideas across subjects
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and attitudes throughout the school, with pupils showing high levels of respect for all
- Highly effective support for pupils with SEND, ensuring they keep pace with peers while accessing the full curriculum
- Strong personal development programme with focus on careers awareness, cultural knowledge, and citizenship skills
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Martial arts, craft club, visits from local authors, career visitor speakers
Holywell Village First School is an outstanding first school where pupils embody the school's values of being respectful, ready to learn, and thoughtful, caring and kind. The school has a highly ambitious curriculum with exceptional support for learning from early years upwards.
At a Glance
9.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
50 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
5
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 Holywell Village First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Holywell Village First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Holywell Village First School is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 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 Holywell Village First School
Will you get a place at Holywell Village First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Holywell Village First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Holywell Village First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Holywell Village First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Holywell Village First School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Northumberland 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
138 pupils
150 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitley Bay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitley Bay
Across Northumberland council
Places available
3,735
Applications
2,569
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
21
SEN Support
5
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
161
Total Pupils
84
Boys
77
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
20.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,601
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,663
Per pupil
£864k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.2%
Overall absence
5.2%
Persistent absence
115
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
Holywell Village First School
Questions parents ask about Holywell Village First School
What is Holywell Village First School's Ofsted rating?
Holywell Village First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2010, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Holywell Village First School?
No fixed boundary. When Holywell Village First School is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Holywell Village First School?
Holywell Village First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at Holywell Village First School?
Classes at Holywell Village First School average 26.8 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 Holywell Village First School?
Holywell Village First School has around 161 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Holywell Village First School?
3.2% of sessions were missed at Holywell Village First School in 2024/25. 5.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Holywell Village First School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Holywell Village First 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 Holywell Village First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Holywell Village First School?
Holywell Village First School is at Holywell, Holywell Village, Whitley Bay, Northumberland, NE25 0LN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)