Percy Hedley School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Percy Hedley School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Percy Hedley School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Percy Hedley School are Benton Dene School (0.7 miles, Good); Percy Hedley Hedleys College (0.9 miles, Good); Benton House School (1.4 miles); and Parkside House School (1.9 miles).
Benton Dene SchoolPercy Hedley Hedleys CollegeBenton House SchoolParkside House School
What parents say
65 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Percy Hedley School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 28 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
51% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Percy Hedley School has an education, health and care plan (157 of 157 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Percy Hedley School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and physical disability.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Palmersville (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Great Lime Road-West Lane (e-bound), 300 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Percy Hedley School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 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
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Percy Hedley School excels at helping every pupil overcome barriers to learning through therapeutic care and specialist support, enabling them to achieve exceptionally well. Staff are highly skilled at teaching pupils different ways to communicate, giving each child a voice to express their preferences and feelings. The school goes above and beyond to prepare pupils for life after school, with ambitious careers guidance, work experience and enrichment activities that build confidence and independence.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional development of pupils' communication and interaction skills using signing, pictures, symbols and digital tools
- High-quality teaching of reading with structured phonics adapted to individual needs
- Outstanding personal development and preparation for adulthood, including careers guidance, work placements and independent travel skills
- Exceptional pupil behaviour because staff have clear expectations and routines
- Bespoke tailored learning across four pathways, with multi-disciplinary teams planning individual adaptations
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Residential visit to the Lake District, school productions, sporting activities, work placements, independent travel skills practice in the community
Percy Hedley School is a special school for pupils aged 3-19 with complex SEND, where an unrelenting culture of ambition and care enables pupils to achieve exceptionally well. All key inspection areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision - were rated Outstanding.
At a Glance
51.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Physical
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
65 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Percy Hedley School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Percy Hedley School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Percy Hedley School is in North Tyneside; for families living there:
Apply to North Tyneside for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
1 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 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
87%
Available places
157 pupils
180 places
23 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 North Tyneside council
Places available
1,743
Applications
1,685
Got 1st preference
84.3%
Got preferred school
94.4%
All secondary applications across North Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
157
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Percy Hedley School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and physical disability.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
157
Total Pupils
113
Boys
44
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.5%
Overall absence
31.3%
Persistent absence
115
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
Percy Hedley School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Percy Hedley School
What are GCSE results like at Percy Hedley School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Percy Hedley School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.8. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Percy Hedley School's Ofsted rating?
Percy Hedley School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Percy Hedley School?
No fixed boundary. When Percy Hedley School is oversubscribed, North Tyneside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Percy Hedley School?
Percy Hedley School has around 157 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Percy Hedley School have specialist SEN provision?
Percy Hedley School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and physical disability.
What is attendance like at Percy Hedley School?
10.5% of sessions were missed at Percy Hedley School in 2024/25. 31.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Percy Hedley School?
Apply through North Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming Percy Hedley 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 Percy Hedley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 1 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Percy Hedley School?
Percy Hedley School is at West Lane, Killingworth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE12 7BH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)