South Wellfield First School, Whitley Bay
South Wellfield 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 October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 94% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Tyneside (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
South Wellfield First School in detail
South Wellfield First School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, dance and forest school.
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 9am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in North Tyneside
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at South Wellfield First School
For September 2026 entry, 70 families put South Wellfield First School as their first choice and 137 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at South Wellfield First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to South Wellfield First School are Langley First School (0.8 miles, Good); Shiremoor Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 79% reading, 85% maths); Southridge First School (1 mile, Good); and Appletree Gardens First School (1.1 miles, Good).
Langley First SchoolShiremoor Primary SchoolSouthridge First SchoolAppletree Gardens First School
What parents say
80 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about South Wellfield First School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 69% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (69%).
Who goes there
3.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 31 pupils (9%) received SEN support and 8 (2.3%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
South Wellfield First School had 18 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 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 West Monkseaton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 840 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is South Wellfield (nw-bound), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood South Wellfield First School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 85 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, shoplifting and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Tyneside (232).
Suspensions and exclusions
South Wellfield First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to South Wellfield First School are Wellfield Middle School (under 0.1 miles), Valley Gardens Middle School (0.9 miles), Whitley Bay High School (1.1 miles) and Monkseaton Coastal School (1.1 miles).
Wellfield Middle SchoolValley Gardens Middle SchoolWhitley Bay High SchoolMonkseaton Coastal School
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 October 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
South Wellfield First School creates a warm, caring environment where children feel safe and eager to learn. The school excels in teaching reading through expert phonics instruction from nursery onwards, and provides outstanding support for children's personal development and well-being. Staff are ambitious for every pupil, including those with additional needs, helping all children achieve well.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - pupils are kind, respectful and show exemplary behaviour throughout the day
- Excellent phonics teaching leading to strong reading outcomes, with children beginning to learn sounds from nursery
- Outstanding personal development programme covering online safety, mental health, friendships and cultural respect
- Ambitious and well-structured curriculum where knowledge is taught in a logical order to build understanding
- Highly effective support for pupils with special educational needs ensuring they achieve well
Areas for Improvement
- Early years curriculum in some areas is not precise enough in supporting children's learning across all subjects
- The school should refine the wider curriculum for youngest children to ensure they learn important knowledge consistently
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
gardening, handball, music, archery, residential stays, visits to castles and islands
South Wellfield First School is a nurturing, warm and supportive school where pupils flourish and feel happy and safe. The school has established an ambitious curriculum with high expectations, and pupils achieve well including those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
3.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
80 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
27.2
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
12
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 South Wellfield First School
Early Years Communication Network - Survey
28 Sep 2026
School photographer
28 Sep 2026
Parent Questionnaire
24 Apr 2026
Year 4 Spring Term 1 Newsletter
15 Dec 2025
Year 2 Spring Term 1 Newsletter
15 Dec 2025
Year 1 Spring Term 1 Newsletter
From South Wellfield First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with South Wellfield First School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to South Wellfield First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. South Wellfield First 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 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
Your chances of a place at South Wellfield First School
Will you get a place at South Wellfield First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against South Wellfield First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for South Wellfield First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to South Wellfield First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from North Tyneside, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at South Wellfield First School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in North Tyneside 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
94%
Near capacity
280 pupils
298 places
18 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 North Tyneside council
Places available
2,516
Applications
2,025
Got 1st preference
91.7%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All primary applications across North Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
11.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
345
Total Pupils
175
Boys
170
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
19.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,668
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,045
Per pupil
£1559k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
3.7%
Persistent absence
243
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
Questions parents ask about South Wellfield First School
What is South Wellfield First School's Ofsted rating?
South Wellfield First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, 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 South Wellfield First School?
No fixed boundary. When South Wellfield First School is oversubscribed, North Tyneside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at South Wellfield First School?
South Wellfield First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 298 places.
How big are the classes at South Wellfield First School?
Classes at South Wellfield First School average 27.8 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 South Wellfield First School?
South Wellfield First School has around 345 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at South Wellfield First School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at South Wellfield First School in 2024/25. 3.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to South Wellfield First School?
Apply through North Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming South Wellfield 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 South Wellfield First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 schools, same distance and years).
Where is South Wellfield First School?
South Wellfield First School is at Otterburn Avenue, South Wellfield, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE25 9QL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)