May Bank Infants' School, Newcastle
May Bank Infants' School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Newcastle. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2023. It was 98% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
May Bank Infants' School in detail
Getting a place at May Bank Infants' School
For September 2026 entry, 55 families put May Bank Infants' School as their first choice and 112 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 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 May Bank Infants' School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to May Bank Infants' School are St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 87% reading, 90% maths); St Margaret's CofE (VC) Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 84% reading, 82% maths); Hempstalls Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 82% reading, 82% maths); and Ellison Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 87% reading, 80% maths).
St Wulstan's Catholic Primary SchoolSt Margaret's CofE (VC) Junior SchoolHempstalls Primary SchoolEllison Primary Academy
Who goes there
4.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 8 pupils (4.6%) received SEN support and 4 (2.3%) 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 Platform 2, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Upper Marsh (adjacent), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 248 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
May Bank Infants' School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to May Bank Infants' School are The Orme Academy (0.4 miles) and St John Fisher Catholic College (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
4.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.8
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with May Bank Infants' School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near May Bank Infants' School.
- Care Club @ St. Margaret'sAt the school · Not yet graded
- Care Club @St. Margaret's700m away · Not yet graded
- J W Playclub770m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
May Bank Infants' School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Staffordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to May Bank Infants' School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. May Bank Infants' School is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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 May Bank Infants' School
Will you get a place at May Bank Infants' School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against May Bank Infants' School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for May Bank Infants' School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to May Bank Infants' School.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for May Bank Infants' School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at May Bank Infants' School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire 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
98%
Near capacity
165 pupils
169 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newcastle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newcastle
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
10,768
Applications
8,344
Got 1st preference
95.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
6.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
173
Total Pupils
79
Boys
94
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
21.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,147
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,163
Per pupil
£966k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
1.8%
Persistent absence
110
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
May Bank Infants' School
Questions parents ask about May Bank Infants' School
What is May Bank Infants' School's Ofsted rating?
May Bank Infants' School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2009 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for May Bank Infants' School?
No fixed boundary. When May Bank Infants' School is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at May Bank Infants' School?
May Bank Infants' School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at May Bank Infants' School?
Classes at May Bank Infants' School average 28.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to May Bank Infants' School?
May Bank Infants' School has around 173 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at May Bank Infants' School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at May Bank Infants' School in 2024/25. 1.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to May Bank Infants' School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming May Bank Infants' 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 May Bank Infants' School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Care Club @ St. Margaret's (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are May Bank Infants' School's term dates?
May Bank Infants' School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Staffordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near May Bank Infants' School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is May Bank Infants' School?
May Bank Infants' School is at Basford Park Road, May Bank, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 0PT.
Sources: Staffordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)