Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Berwick-upon-Tweed. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 48% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School in detail
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "If you can’t find exactly what you need please just contact us and we will do our best to help. As a village school we are committed to meeting the needs of our local community, whilst preparing the children for a life long journey of learning in the wider world."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School
For September 2024 entry, 2 families put Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 4 named it as one of their preferences, for 2 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2024 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School are Swinton Primary School (3.8 miles) and Coldstream Primary School (5.9 miles).
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
3.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 10 pupils (34.5%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School had 2 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village Hall (near), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are safe, happy and educated well at this small and rural first school. Relationships between pupils, their families and their teachers are caring and supportive. Adults who work in the school know every pupil well. Any worries that pupils have are picked up quickly and sorted out effectively.
Staff have high expectations of the pupils who attend this school. Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science. In other subjects, the gaps in pupils' knowledge are being filled quickly. The school's provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) helps these pupils to learn well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has adopted a new curriculum since the last inspection. This new curriculum is well designed. It includes the subject-specific vocabulary that should be learned at each stage. The curriculum is taught by well-trained staff. It is supported by high-quality texts and by educational visits. Most recently, pupils reinforced their learning about art with a visit to a local exhibition.
The new curriculum is well established in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils' learning in these subjects is checked regularly. Any gaps in their knowledge are addressed straight away. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make rapid progress through the curriculums in these subjects. In some other subjects, however, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge of these subjects.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its September 2022 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement), Early years (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
24.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
17.0
Avg class size
1
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary 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
- 0
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.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School for 2014 to 2024 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
48%
Available places
24 pupils
50 places
26 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Berwick-upon-Tweed
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Berwick-upon-Tweed
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
34.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
29
Total Pupils
14
Boys
15
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
14.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
School Funding
£12,047
Per pupil
£388k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
10.0%
Persistent absence
20
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School
What is Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary 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 Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School?
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 48% of its 50 places.
How big are the classes at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School average 17 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School?
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School has around 29 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School?
6% of sessions were missed at Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 10% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled 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.
How many road collisions happen near Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary 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. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School?
Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School is at West Street, Norham-on-Tweed, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2JZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)