School Chooser

Longbenton High School

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedFoundation995 pupilsSixth formNewcastle-upon-TyneNorth Tyneside
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 13 to 24
Out of 100. Better than 16% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2022
Strong pass in English and maths28%England 46%
Attendance89.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families32%A bit more than most schools
Places110 spare995 pupils, 1,105 places
Pupils per teacher15.6School workforce census

Longbenton High School is a foundation school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 995 pupils and room for 1,105. About 32 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Hailsham Avenue, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE12 8ER0191 218 9500longbenton.org.ukMrs Rebecca Watson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 June 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Requires improvement
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

166 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score41.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths28%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths58%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.43In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 43.043.020182019: 42.842.820192022: 49.049.020222023: 40.740.720232024: 42.242.220242025: 41.741.72025
Since 2018: -1.3Declining overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018North TynesideEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11166172119147130109
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 841.742.240.749.042.843.047.146.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.43-0.58-0.17-0.50-0.49
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths28%41%28%46%40%36%43%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths58%56%44%69%62%61%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.633.753.334.143.513.614.114.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry21%24%17%25%14%20%33%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged29.226.336.637.233.233.9
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged46.146.542.754.545.846.2
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers22.930.032.917.4
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers58.057.567.454.257.3

Subjects

Results came out for 18 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Physical Education82%grades 9 to 5, England 56%
Religious Studies82%grades 9 to 5, England 60%
Biology100%grades 9 to 5, England 82% · 307th of 2,570 schools
Spanish69%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 498th of 1,941 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Art and Design (40% here, 58% across England), Mathematics (38% here, 53% across England), English Literature (42% here, 58% across England), Geography (36% here, 51% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics165 entries · 8th of 11 in North Tyneside
38%England 53%
English Language165 entries · 8th of 11 in North Tyneside
42%England 54%
English Literature161 entries · 8th of 11 in North Tyneside
42%England 58%
Combined Science138 entries · 6th of 11 in North Tyneside
34%England 36%
History68 entries · 5th of 11 in North Tyneside
49%England 52%
Art and Design60 entries · 7th of 8 in North Tyneside
40%England 58%
Spanish55 entries · 2nd of 7 in North Tyneside
69%England 54%
Geography53 entries · 7th of 10 in North Tyneside
36%England 51%
Physics24 entries · 6th of 7 in North Tyneside
92%England 82%
Chemistry24 entries · 5th of 7 in North Tyneside
96%England 81%
Biology24 entries · 5th of 7 in North Tyneside
100%England 82%
French22 entries · 5th of 5 in North Tyneside
46%England 60%
63%England 56%
82%England 56%
82%England 60%
Drama16 entries
63%England 60%
47%England 50%
Music11 entries
46%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics16512%38%68%53%2,598 of 3,211
English Language16510%42%63%54%2,434 of 3,210
English Literature1618%42%63%58%2,581 of 3,202
Combined Science1380%34%57%36%1,562 of 3,084
History6818%49%57%52%1,718 of 3,126
Art and Design607%40%65%58%2,229 of 2,818
Spanish5520%69%78%54%498 of 1,941
Geography5319%36%51%51%2,343 of 3,116
Physics2463%92%100%82%995 of 2,546
Chemistry2458%96%100%81%751 of 2,537
Biology2446%100%100%82%307 of 2,570
French2218%46%55%60%1,505 of 1,974
Computer Science1932%63%79%56%
Physical Education1747%82%94%56%
Religious Studies1747%82%88%60%
Drama160%63%81%60%
Design & Technology1540%47%87%50%
Music1118%46%55%61%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

48 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC+31.8 points per entry
A level progress-0.29Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better21%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished83%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students485740349081
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry31.8432.5031.0536.6533.4626.95
Average A level gradeC+C+CB-C+C-
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS31.5533.1431.0135.8334.7928.47
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects21%21%22%17%13%5%
A level progressA level value added-0.29-0.35+0.01-0.10
Applied general courses: points per entry29.4023.2526.14
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed83%85%94%93%88%94%

A level subjects

12 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsEnglish Literature11Biology8History8Religious Studies7Business Studies7Chemistry6Sociology6Mathematics6Geography5Physics5Media / Film / TV Studies5Mathematics (Further)5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
English Literature11 entries · 9% A* or A · 91% passed
27%England 52%
Biology8 entries · 25% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 49%
History8 entries · 13% A* or A · 75% passed
13%England 55%
Religious Studies7 entries · 0% A* or A · 71% passed
29%England 50%
Business Studies7 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
43%England 47%
Chemistry6 entries · 50% A* or A · 83% passed
50%England 53%
Sociology6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 49%
Mathematics6 entries · 83% A* or A · 100% passed
83%England 60%
Geography5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 51%
Physics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 51%
Media / Film / TV Studies5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 46%
Mathematics (Further)5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 76%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

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. None of the 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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
29.246.1
Gap 16.9England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
5%37%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
39.944.0
Gap 4.1England 3.0
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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

A few spare places946 pupils for 1,090 places, 2024/25
87% full

About 144 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 North Tyneside council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll995Census January 2026
Places1,10590% full
Pupils from low-income families30%32% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%229 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%41 pupils with a plan
Average class size20.148 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)33%£321,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls517 / 478
White British pupils85%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (82), language and communications needs (79), Specific learning difficulty (35), Autistic spectrum disorder (27), Moderate learning difficulty (14), Other difficulty or disability (13).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll995950964906888824
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals30%31%28%27%26%23%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%7%6%6%5%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support26%25%21%18%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%3%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance89.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school29.4%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils86.42024/25, 12 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission5.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence10.3%9.9%10.0%10.5%5.1%4.9%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.3%7.0%6.1%7.7%3.4%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence5.0%2.9%3.9%2.8%1.7%1.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence29.4%28.1%30.1%32.4%12.4%11.3%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate86.456.134.615.014.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions127533

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 119 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training87%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 83%, compared with 90% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training87%93%91%89%
Education75%88%79%86%
Apprenticeship10%2%6%1%
Work3%3%6%2%
Not in education, work or training6%5%7%10%

After sixth form

Where the 40 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training88%and stayed there for at least six months

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training79%England 72%
Top-third universities28%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship18%England 6%
Higher technical course0%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training88%97%93%
Education50%75%56%
Apprenticeship18%6%15%2%
Work20%16%22%
Not in education, work or training10%3%7%

Staff and money

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

Teachers63.6full-time equivalent, 67 people
Pupils per teacher15.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,590
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.12024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,517England £8,524. Total £7.1m
Income per pupil£8,086England £8,454. Total £7.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,215England £4,610
Money in reserve-8%In the red: -£594k, -£625 per pupil. England 5%
Money in against money out+£541kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,517spent 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 m15712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate75 per 1,000 people18% lower than the England average
Typical house price£210,000North Tyneside
Nearest bus stop130 mBenton Estate, 10 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
George Stephenson High SchoolFoundation1.0 miles1,233Good 201933Compare
St Mary's Catholic SchoolAcademy1.1 miles1,462Outstanding 202392Compare
Gosforth East Middle SchoolFoundation1.7 miles557Good 202361Compare
Jesmond Park AcademyAcademy1.8 miles2,092Good 202274Compare
Gosforth Central Middle SchoolFoundation1.8 miles600Good 202472Compare
Gosforth AcademyAcademy2.0 miles1,925Good 202282Compare
Benfield SchoolAcademy2.1 miles819No overall grade 20253Compare
Gosforth Junior High AcademyAcademy2.1 miles695Good 202365Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Longbenton High School with the 31 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 31 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats16%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 18 is 17 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 36 · highest 81100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 13 to 24. 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 years20%below
-0.12
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 166 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.15
DfE progress measure; 166 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.10
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.11
2024/25; 891 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 166 pupils
What pupils do next5%below
-0.03
119 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 Longbenton High School a good school?

The figures are weak. Longbenton High School scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 13 to 24, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Longbenton High School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Longbenton High School good at its last full inspection on 28 June 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Longbenton High School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 28% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 41.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Longbenton High School have?

995 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,105 places, so it is 90% full.

Is Longbenton High School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 144 places were empty in 2024/25 (13% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Longbenton High School?

Pupils were in school 89.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Longbenton High School?

The average class had 20.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Longbenton High School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 12 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

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

Contact and details

Address
Hailsham Avenue, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE12 8ER
Telephone
0191 218 9500
Website
longbenton.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Rebecca Watson
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Trust
The North Tyneside Learning Trust (28 schools)
Local authority
North Tyneside
Ward
Longbenton & Benton
Constituency
Newcastle upon Tyne North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
108645 · LAESTAB 3924039 · UKPRN 10004089

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from