New Hartley First School, Whitley Bay
New Hartley 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 May 2025 did not change this grade. It was 91% 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
New Hartley First School in detail
New Hartley First School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at New Hartley First School
For September 2026 entry, 18 families put New Hartley First School as their first choice and 33 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at New Hartley First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to New Hartley First School are Seaton Delaval First School (1 mile, Good); Holywell Village First School (1.4 miles, Good); Seghill First School (1.9 miles, Good); and New Delaval Primary School (2 miles, Good, 53% reading, 57% maths).
Seaton Delaval First SchoolHolywell Village First SchoolSeghill First SchoolNew Delaval Primary School
What parents say
51 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about New Hartley First School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (84%).
Who goes there
13.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 29 pupils (17.6%) received SEN support and 4 (2.4%) 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.
Staffing
New Hartley First School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Seaton Delaval Railway Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bradbury Court (opposite), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, New Hartley First School issued 3 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to New Hartley First School are Whytrig Middle School (0.7 miles), Seaton Valley High School (0.7 miles) and Seaton Sluice Middle School (1.4 miles).
Whytrig Middle SchoolSeaton Valley High SchoolSeaton Sluice 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 1 year 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 May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a welcoming school where children are happy, safe and develop strong values of kindness and respect. Teachers know their pupils well and adapt lessons to help them learn, with particularly strong teaching in reading. The school offers lots of opportunities for children to explore the wider world through different cultures, religions and environmental activities.
Key Strengths
- Strong character education with focus on empathy, honesty and respect - pupils get along well together
- Excellent reading programme with phonics matched to books and targeted support for struggling readers
- Inclusive approach to SEND - staff adapt teaching and work closely with parents to help all pupils progress
- Wide range of extra-curricular clubs and enrichment activities including sports, arts and environmental learning
- Effective leadership team that has redesigned the curriculum and developed teachers' subject expertise
Areas for Improvement
- Checks on pupil understanding in some curriculum areas are not precise enough, meaning gaps and misconceptions are sometimes missed
- Early years staff do not always make best use of independent learning times to extend children's language and vocabulary
- Some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could in certain subjects due to unidentified learning gaps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture where pupils know staff will help with any worries.
Extracurricular Activities
Running club, construction club, sports clubs, drawing club, book club
New Hartley First School is a happy, nurturing environment where pupils behave well and enjoy learning. The school has redesigned its curriculum to build knowledge progressively, though some checks on pupil understanding need to be more precise.
At a Glance
13.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
51 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with New Hartley First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to New Hartley First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. New Hartley 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
- 1
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.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 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 New Hartley First School
Will you get a place at New Hartley First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against New Hartley First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for New Hartley First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to New Hartley 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 New Hartley 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
135 pupils
148 places
13 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
29
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
20.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
165
Total Pupils
89
Boys
76
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,388
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,796
Per pupil
£866k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
6.3%
Persistent absence
111
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
New Hartley First School
Questions parents ask about New Hartley First School
What is New Hartley First School's Ofsted rating?
New Hartley First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 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 New Hartley First School?
No fixed boundary. When New Hartley 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 New Hartley First School?
New Hartley First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 148 places.
How big are the classes at New Hartley First School?
Classes at New Hartley First School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to New Hartley First School?
New Hartley First School has around 165 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at New Hartley First School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at New Hartley First School in 2024/25. 6.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to New Hartley First School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming New Hartley 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 New Hartley 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. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 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 New Hartley First School?
New Hartley First School is at New Hartley, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE25 0RD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)