Newker Primary School, Chester le Street
Newker Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chester le Street. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 16 schools in Chester le Street with published results, and 5,545th of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Newker Primary School in detail
Newker Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We would like to invite you to our school Open Day on Saturday 3rd October at 10am to 12 noon. We are an inclusive and very friendly school. The most wonderful thing about our school is our amazing pupils."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Newker Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in County Durham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Newker Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Newker Primary School as their first choice and 60 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Newker Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Newker Primary School are Bullion Lane Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 94% reading, 94% maths); Cestria Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 95% reading, 79% maths); Red Rose Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 91% maths); and St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Chester-Le-Street (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 83% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Newker Primary School.
Bullion Lane Primary SchoolCestria Primary SchoolRed Rose Primary SchoolSt Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Chester-Le-Street
What parents say
63 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Newker Primary School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 53% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (53%).
Who goes there
4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bullion Lane, about 390 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Newker House (ne-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Newker Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
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 County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Newker Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Newker Primary School are Hermitage Academy (0.4 miles) and Park View School (0.5 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from September 2011, 15 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
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
29.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
63 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 84% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.3
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
28.1
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Newker Primary School
Newsletter September2026
10 Sep 2026
Meet the Teacher Night for Y1-Y6 parents/carers
8 Sep 2026
Newsletter July 2026
9 Jul 2026
Newsletter May 2026
4 May 2026
From Newker Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Newker Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Newker Primary School.
- First Class Learning Chester Le Street190m away · Not yet graded
- Mains House @ Red Rose730m away · Not yet graded
- Kip McGrath Chester le Street880m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Newker Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Newker Primary School is in County Durham; for families living there:
- County Durham's school travel policy: School transport policies and strategies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school travel
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
4 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 County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 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 Newker Primary School
Will you get a place at Newker Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Newker Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Newker Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Newker Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Newker Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in County Durham 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
81%
Available places
340 pupils
420 places
80 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chester le Street
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chester le Street
Across County Durham council
Places available
6,581
Applications
4,409
Got 1st preference
97.3%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
48
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
17.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
340
Total Pupils
173
Boys
167
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
21.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,394
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,381
Per pupil
£2073k
Total funding
£152k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
12.0%
Persistent absence
316
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
Newker Primary School
Questions parents ask about Newker Primary School
What are SATs results like at Newker Primary School?
Of the pupils at Newker Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is Newker Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Newker Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Newker Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Newker Primary School is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Newker Primary School?
Newker Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Newker Primary School?
Classes at Newker Primary School average 24.3 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 Newker Primary School?
Newker Primary School has around 340 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Newker Primary School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Newker Primary School in 2024/25. 12% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Newker Primary School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Newker Primary 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 Newker Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Newker Primary School: First Class Learning Chester Le Street (190m away, registered, not yet graded), Mains House @ Red Rose (730m away, registered, not yet graded) and Kip McGrath Chester le Street (880m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Newker Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 4 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 County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Newker Primary School?
Newker Primary School is at Waldridge Road, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH2 3AA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)