Seaton Sluice First School, Whitley Bay
Seaton Sluice First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Whitley Bay. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. It was 93% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Seaton Sluice First School in detail
Seaton Sluice First School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Seaton Sluice First School is an extremely happy, caring and successful school. Having been Deputy Headteacher at the school for four years, I was proud to be appointed as Headteacher in September 2017."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Seaton Sluice First School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Seaton Sluice First School as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Seaton Sluice First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Seaton Sluice First School are Holywell Village First School (1.6 miles, Good); Whitley Lodge First School (1.6 miles, Good); Coquet Park First School (1.9 miles, Outstanding); and Southridge First School (2 miles, Good).
Holywell Village First SchoolWhitley Lodge First SchoolCoquet Park First SchoolSouthridge First School
What parents say
84 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Seaton Sluice First School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
8.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 20 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 19 (10.2%) 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 autism.
Seaton Sluice First School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 15 places, 14 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Seaton Sluice First School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Monkseaton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hartley Square (northbound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 26 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Seaton Sluice First School issued 6 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2010, 16 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 March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Seaton Sluice First School excels at creating an inclusive environment where all children, including those with SEND, learn together and thrive. The school's distinctive focus on music and sign language, combined with excellent outdoor spaces, helps pupils grow in confidence and develop strong social skills. Parents particularly value the caring approach and the way teachers provide tailored support to help every child succeed from their starting point.
Key Strengths
- Excellent early reading provision with phonics taught confidently and pupils reading books matched to their level
- Music is central to the school's offer with all pupils learning sign language and delivering joyful performances
- Outstanding outdoor provision including allotment, teepee and trim trail that develops social skills and confidence
- Inclusive approach ensures pupils with SEND make significant progress daily and join mainstream peers regularly
- Strong pastoral support with parents praising how teachers go above and beyond for their children
Areas for Improvement
- New curriculum not yet fully embedded - some pupils have gaps in foundational knowledge that need to be addressed
- Pupils have limited understanding of different cultures, religions and ethnicities and are not fully prepared for life in the wider community
- Some pupils behave less well in lessons when activities don't capture their interest
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Multi-sports clubs, gardening club, school council, well-being ambassadors, educational visits to museums, charitable fundraising activities
Seaton Sluice First School is a caring and welcoming school that includes a specially resourced provision called The Lighthouse for pupils with SEND. The school is rated Good across all key areas, with high expectations for pupil achievement and a strong emphasis on music and inclusion.
At a Glance
8.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism, SEMH +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
84 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
31.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Seaton Sluice First School
From Seaton Sluice First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Seaton Sluice First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Seaton Sluice First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Seaton Sluice First 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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 Seaton Sluice First School
Will you get a place at Seaton Sluice First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Seaton Sluice First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Seaton Sluice First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Seaton Sluice First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Seaton Sluice First School for 2014 to 2026 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
93%
Near capacity
163 pupils
175 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitley Bay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitley Bay
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
20.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Seaton Sluice First School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 15 places, 14 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
187
Total Pupils
84
Boys
103
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,841
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,524
Per pupil
£994k
Total funding
£32k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
11.0%
Persistent absence
136
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
Seaton Sluice First School
Questions parents ask about Seaton Sluice First School
What is Seaton Sluice First School's Ofsted rating?
Seaton Sluice First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2010, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Seaton Sluice First School?
No fixed boundary. When Seaton Sluice First 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 Seaton Sluice First School?
Seaton Sluice First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 175 places.
How big are the classes at Seaton Sluice First School?
Classes at Seaton Sluice First School average 26.7 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Seaton Sluice First School?
Seaton Sluice First School has around 187 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Seaton Sluice First School have specialist SEN provision?
Seaton Sluice First School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 15 places, 14 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Seaton Sluice First School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Seaton Sluice First School in 2024/25. 11% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Seaton Sluice First School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Seaton Sluice First 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 Seaton Sluice First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 Seaton Sluice First School?
Seaton Sluice First School is at Granville Avenue, Seaton Sluice, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE26 4BX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)