John Spence Community High School, North Shields
John Spence Community High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in North Shields, part of Pele Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 5th-highest of the 5 schools in North Shields with published results, and 2,173rd of 3,298 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to North Tyneside (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
John Spence Community High School in detail
John Spence Community High School in its own words
In its own words: "We are a fully inclusive 11-16 OFSTED Good school that sits at the heart of our community and recognise that in order to excel, students need to be supported and challenged through every stage of their school journey. A significant strength of the school is the quality of our relationships."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at John Spence Community High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.2 in North Tyneside and 47 across England.
40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in North Tyneside and 47% in England.
That is up from 41 in 2025.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38.1, against 46.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at John Spence Community High School
For September 2026 entry, 104 families put John Spence Community High School as their first choice and 301 named it as one of their preferences, for 166 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at John Spence Community High School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to John Spence Community High School are Marden High School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 55); Monkseaton High School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.1); St Thomas More Catholic High School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 48.8); and Kings Priory School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 57.6).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than John Spence Community High School.
Marden High SchoolMonkseaton High SchoolSt Thomas More Catholic High SchoolKings Priory School
The trust
John Spence Community High School is one of 14 schools run by Pele Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 163 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 75% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 68% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
51.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
John Spence Community High School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties.
Staffing
John Spence Community High School had 64 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Tynemouth (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1 mile away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Preston Village (s-bound), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, John Spence Community High School issued 212 suspensions, 26.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to John Spence Community High School are Monkhouse Primary School (0.4 miles); King Edward Primary School (0.5 miles); Preston Grange Primary School (0.5 miles); and St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Cullercoats (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Monkhouse Primary SchoolKing Edward Primary SchoolPreston Grange Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary School, Cullercoats
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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
John Spence Community High School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2023. Before that, as John Spence Community High School (URN 108644), it was rated Requires Improvement in June 2023.
About
John Spence Community High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Preston in Tyne and Wear, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
51.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Attainment 8 has improved from 41.0 to 43.0 (2025 to 2026), while gCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 29% to 40% (2025 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.0 | 40% |
| Disadvantaged(70) | - | 38.1 | 34.3% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(95) | - | 46.5 | 44.2% |
| Boys(85) | - | 39.7 | 38.8% |
| Girls(80) | - | 46.4 | 41.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(12) | - | 31.3 | 16.7% |
| Non mobile(159) | - | 43.7 | 40.9% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 163 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
7
Permanent exclusions
0.86%
Exclusion rate
212
Suspensions
26.11%
Suspension rate
84 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 812 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Latest from John Spence Community High School
Parent Newsletter - 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Parent Newsletter - 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Parent Newsletter - 11th September 2026
17 Sep 2026
From John Spence Community High School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with John Spence Community High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to John Spence Community High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. John Spence Community High 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
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 7 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
13 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 John Spence Community High School
Will you get a place at John Spence Community High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against John Spence Community High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for John Spence Community High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to John Spence Community High 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 John Spence Community High School for 2024 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
92%
Near capacity
818 pupils
885 places
67 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - North Shields
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for North Shields
Across North Tyneside council
Places available
1,743
Applications
1,685
Got 1st preference
84.3%
Got preferred school
94.4%
All secondary applications across North Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
169
SEN Support
38
EHC Plans
23.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
John Spence Community High School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
872
Total Pupils
461
Boys
411
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
64
Teachers
13.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,286
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,846
Per pupil
£6943k
Total funding
£417k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.5%
Overall absence
25.1%
Persistent absence
849
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
John Spence Community High School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about John Spence Community High School
What are GCSE results like at John Spence Community High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at John Spence Community High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43. 40% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is John Spence Community High School's Ofsted rating?
John Spence Community High School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2023. Before that, as John Spence Community High School (URN 108644), it was rated Requires Improvement in June 2023.
What is the catchment area for John Spence Community High School?
No fixed boundary. When John Spence Community High 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 John Spence Community High School?
John Spence Community High School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 885 places.
How big are the classes at John Spence Community High School?
Classes at John Spence Community High School average 22.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to John Spence Community High School?
John Spence Community High School has around 872 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
Does John Spence Community High School have specialist SEN provision?
John Spence Community High School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at John Spence Community High School?
9.5% of sessions were missed at John Spence Community High School in 2024/25. 25.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to John Spence Community High School?
Apply through North Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming John Spence Community High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near John Spence Community High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 7 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 13 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 John Spence Community High School?
John Spence Community High School is at Preston Road, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 9PU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)