Newker Primary School, Chester le Street

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~411m)Possible (~587m)Unlikely (~763m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Melanie Kirkland
Pupils:340 / 420 capacity
LA:County Durham
Phone:01913887099
Address:Waldridge Road, Chester le Street, DH2 3AA
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 1998

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 7 May 2025View full report
URN:131233
UKPRN:10075258
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:North Durham
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Newker Primary School creates a calm, respectful learning environment where pupils are ambitious and enthusiastic about their education. Teachers are skilled at teaching children to read using phonics, and the school provides quick support for any child who falls behind. Your child will benefit from a well-planned curriculum that starts in the early years and includes trips to places like the theatre and various places of worship to broaden their understanding of the world.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent phonics teaching with strong support for pupils falling behind in reading
  • High expectations for pupil behaviour and achievement, consistently met by pupils
  • Well-designed curriculum starting in early years to prepare children for learning beyond Reception
  • Good support for pupils with special educational needs, enabling them to access the full curriculum
  • Improved attendance, particularly for previously absent pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Some subjects not delivered in the intended sequence, meaning pupils have not secured all key knowledge
  • Inconsistent assessment in a few subjects to identify what pupils need to learn next
  • Teaching around equality and diversity not implemented strongly enough across all year groups

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong oversight of pupil safety and wellbeing maintained by leaders and governors.

Extracurricular Activities

School council, waste warriors, play leaders, peer mentors, theatre visits, visits to places of worship, wide range of sporting activities

Newker Primary School is a Good school where pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave well in a calm, orderly atmosphere. The school has high expectations of achievement and provides a broad, ambitious curriculum with strong teaching in reading and mathematics.

At a Glance

29.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

63 responses
Would recommend83%
Child is happy89%
Well taught86%
Good progress91%
Feels safe87%
Well behaved83%
Bullying dealt with16%
Kept informed83%
Handles concerns52%
Wider development78%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-1ppMaths-6ppWriting+3pp

Reading has remained stable at around 83%. Maths has declined from 84% to 78%. Writing has remained stable at around 78%.

Class Sizes

27.0

Avg class size

21.7

Infant (KS1)

29.9

KS2

14

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Bullion Lane
389m · 6 min walk
Chester-le-Street Rail Station
430m · 7 min walk
Station Road
461m · 7 min walk

Bus Stops

Newker House (NE-bound)
62m · 1 min walk
Bullion Hall (NW-bound)
224m · 4 min walk
Second Ave - Yetholm Ave (N-bound)
269m · 4 min walk
Bullion Lane - Schools (S-bound)
275m · 4 min walk
Waldridge Rd - Second Ave (SW-bound)
284m · 5 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

81%

Available places

340 pupils

420 capacity

80 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Chester le Street

Low pressure
New homes approved:452
Projected new pupils:113

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Chester le Street

Admissions Demand - County Durham

Low demand0.68x oversubscription

Places available

6,592

Applications

4,491

Got 1st preference

96.4%

Got preferred school

99.2%

Primary admissions across County Durham (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

7 May 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
26 February 2020
8 December 2015

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.37189%

Overall absence

12.02532%

Persistent absence

316

Enrolments

Authorised3.99669%
Unauthorised1.3752%
Persistent (10%+)12.02532%
Severe (50%+)0.31646%

Absence trend

4.19699%
18/19
3.54859%
20/21
7.22398%
21/22
6.87688%
22/23
6.50842%
23/24
5.37189%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.