Northern Counties School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Northern Counties School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Northern Counties School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Northern Counties School are NHS Choices College (1.6 miles, Good); Benton House School (2 miles); Trinity Academy Newcastle (2.1 miles, Requires improvement); and Trinity Post 16 Solutions Limited (2.2 miles, Good).
NHS Choices CollegeBenton House SchoolTrinity Academy NewcastleTrinity Post 16 Solutions Limited
Where pupils go next
Of the 15 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
42.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 12.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (66%), Asian (12%) and Mixed (8%).
Almost every pupil at Northern Counties School has an education, health and care plan (87 of 89 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Northern Counties School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is West Jesmond (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 510 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Great North Road-Mooracres (n-bound), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 515 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Newcastle upon Tyne (318), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Northern Counties School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
42.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Hearing, Speech and language, Autism +3
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Northern Counties School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Northern Counties School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Northern Counties School is in Newcastle upon Tyne; for families living there:
Apply to Newcastle upon Tyne for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 35
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 4 serious and 29 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
11 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 Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
74%
Available places
89 pupils
120 places
31 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Across Newcastle upon Tyne council
Places available
2,560
Applications
2,594
Got 1st preference
79.0%
Got preferred school
93.4%
All secondary applications across Newcastle upon Tyne council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
87
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Northern Counties School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
89
Total Pupils
60
Boys
29
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
15.4%
Overall absence
35.9%
Persistent absence
64
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Northern Counties School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Northern Counties School
What is Northern Counties School's Ofsted rating?
Northern Counties School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2022 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Northern Counties School?
No fixed boundary. When Northern Counties School is oversubscribed, Newcastle upon Tyne allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Northern Counties School?
Northern Counties School has around 89 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Northern Counties School have specialist SEN provision?
Northern Counties School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Northern Counties School?
15.4% of sessions were missed at Northern Counties School in 2024/25. 35.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Northern Counties School?
Apply through Newcastle upon Tyne's coordinated admissions process, naming Northern Counties School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Northern Counties School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 4 serious and 29 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 11 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 Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Northern Counties School?
Northern Counties School is at Tankerville Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE2 3BB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)