School Chooser

Cramlington Shanklea Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedCouncil266 pupilsNurseryCramlingtonNorthumberland
School Chooser Score
15
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 27, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, May 2024
Reached the expected level at 1161%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families22%A bit fewer than most schools
Places64 spare266 pupils, 330 places
Pupils per teacher19.4School workforce census

Cramlington Shanklea Primary School is a council school in Cramlington for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 266 pupils and room for 330. About 22 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 15 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Nairn Road, Parkside Chase, Cramlington, NE23 1RQ01670 715205shanklea.northumberland.sch.ukMrs Laura Ritson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 1 May 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that, although the inspectors did raise some concerns, so a full inspection will follow. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

33 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1161%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 79%79%20172018: 71%71%20182019: 79%79%20192023: 48%48%20232024: 47%47%20242025: 61%61%2025
Since 2017: -18%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017NorthumberlandEngland
Pupils tested334752484858
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths61%47%48%79%71%79%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%4%4%13%23%14%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0104.0106.0107.0106.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0102.0100.0107.0106.0106.0103.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0101.0102.0108.0108.0108.0103.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard76%66%71%83%85%84%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard76%57%58%90%79%93%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)76%77%71%90%90%93%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.8-0.7+1.2+2.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-6.7+0.4+1.6+2.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged17%17%71%88%55%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged70%58%80%68%85%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
17%70%
Gap 53 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
53%67%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Catchment area

Northumberland council has drawn an official catchment area for this school. You can see it on the map below; it covers about 1.7 square kilometres. Living inside it moves your child up the queue when there are more applicants than places. It doesn't guarantee a place: the council's admissions rules decide the order.

Set your home postcode at the top of the page to see whether you live inside it.

Plenty of spare places276 pupils for 367 places, 2024/25
75% full

91 places were empty (25% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 14% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Northumberland council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What a home inside the catchment costs

Typical sale price inside the catchment£182,000half sold for £150k to £236k
Homes sold175December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-13%a typical home in the district sells for £209,085

Every home sold inside the council's catchment area, of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll266Census January 2026
Places33081% full
Pupils from low-income families22%22% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%47 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.211 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)19%£80,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls137 / 129
White British pupils91%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (28), language and communications needs (16), Moderate learning difficulty (12), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll266278295317320321
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals22%21%19%19%17%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%2%1%1%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%28%11%12%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%3%4%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.22024/25, 2 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%5.8%5.7%5.6%4.0%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%4.1%4.7%5.3%3.6%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.7%1.0%0.3%0.3%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.2%14.8%12.7%13.3%10.3%5.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.22.72.22.52.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions21000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers13.7full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher19.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,248
Teachers who left in the year16%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.52024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,775England £7,738. Total £2.2m
Income per pupil£7,920England £7,697. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,385England £3,480
Money in reserve-10%In the red: -£228k, -£823 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£40kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,775spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m22812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate48 per 1,000 people47% lower than the England average
Typical house price£207,950Northumberland
Nearest bus stop150 mEast West Link Road, 11 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Burnside Primary SchoolCouncil650 m515Good 202383Compare
Cramlington Village Primary SchoolFree school850 m171Requires improvement 20246Compare
Eastlea Primary SchoolCouncil900 m235Not inspected48Compare
Cramlington Northburn Primary SchoolCouncil940 m282Good 202260Compare
Hareside Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles430Good 202368Compare
Ss Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles189Good 202364Compare
Beaconhill Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles237Good 20229Compare
Cragside CofE Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England1.3 miles336Good 202263Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Cramlington Shanklea Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats23%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 15 is 24 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 39 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Cramlington Shanklea Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Prudhoe West AcademyAcademy14.1 miles233Report card 202679Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 15 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 15% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 27. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.12
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 33 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.16
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.31
DfE progress measure; 33 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 249 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 33 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Cramlington Shanklea Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Cramlington Shanklea Primary School scores 15 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 27, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Cramlington Shanklea Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Cramlington Shanklea Primary School good at its last full inspection on 1 May 2024.

How good are Cramlington Shanklea Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 61% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Cramlington Shanklea Primary School have?

266 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 330 places, so it is 81% full.

Is Cramlington Shanklea Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 91 places were empty in 2024/25 (25% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Cramlington Shanklea Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Cramlington Shanklea Primary School?

The average class had 24.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Nairn Road, Parkside Chase, Cramlington, NE23 1RQ
Telephone
01670 715205
Website
www.shanklea.northumberland.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Laura Ritson
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Northumberland
Ward
Cramlington North West
Constituency
Cramlington and Killingworth
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
122194 · LAESTAB 9292077 · UKPRN 10074794

Where these figures come from