Westgate Hill Primary Academy, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Westgate Hill Primary Academy on 7 areas: 1 exceptional, 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Exceptional. "The approach to inclusion is of the highest possible quality."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders foster a sense of belonging in the school."

Early years - Strong standard. "Children in the early years get off to a flying start."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and those responsible for governance have an in-depth understanding of the school's context."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The personal development programme is carefully considered to ensure that it meets the needs of the diverse community the school serves."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, typically secure the knowledge they need to be ready for their next stage of education."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum to build knowledge and skills over time."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further strengthen the use of assessment, particularly in mathematics, to more precisely identify misconceptions and gaps in knowledge so that they can be closed quickly"; "Leaders should embed improvements in pupils' foundational knowledge in key stage 2, particularly in number formation, capital letters and punctuation"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers further support pupils in acquiring and retaining detailed knowledge and skills across foundation subjects".

From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of the whole school community, we welcome you to Westgate Hill Primary Academy in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We are a vibrant, inclusive, family-orientated school with a strong community ethos. Our entire team has worked incredibly hard to achieve our Exceptional Inclusion Ofsted judgement in April 2026 ."

The school runs a breakfast club.

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Westgate Hill Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Newcastle upon Tyne and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 63% in reading and 66% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 63 families put Westgate Hill Primary Academy as their first choice and 115 named it as one of their preferences, for 68 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Westgate Hill Primary Academy are Moorside Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 65% reading, 57% maths); Hawthorn Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 83% maths); St Paul's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 72% reading, 83% maths); and Our Lady and St Anne's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, 67% reading, 73% maths).

Westgate Hill Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Westgate Hill Primary Academy is one of 11 schools run by The Laidlaw Schools Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

50.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 87.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (51%), other ethnic groups (14%) and Black (10%).

In 2026, 110 pupils (15.2%) received SEN support and 13 (1.8%) 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.

The nearest tram or metro stop is St James (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Westgate Road-Gloucester Road (w-bound), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Westgate Hill Primary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 1089 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Newcastle upon Tyne (318), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Westgate Hill Primary Academy issued 8 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The secondary schools closest to Westgate Hill Primary Academy are North East Futures UTC (1 mile) and Sacred Heart Catholic High School (1 mile).