School Chooser

Morpeth Road Academy

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy253 pupilsNurseryBlythNorthumberland
School Chooser Score
55
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 34 to 73
Out of 100. Better than 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, March 2022
Reached the expected level at 1164%England 63%
Attendance93.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families60%Far more than most schools
Places193 spare253 pupils, 446 places
Pupils per teacher13.8School workforce census

Morpeth Road Academy is a converter academy in Blyth for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 253 pupils and room for 446. About 60 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 55 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2022.

Bates Avenue, Blyth, NE24 5TQ01670 351713morpethroad.wiseacademies.co.ukMrs Felicity Troughton head of schoolAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 16 March 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
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

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1164%
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 score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 38%38%20172018: 62%62%20182019: 40%40%20192023: 22%22%20232024: 51%51%20242025: 64%64%2025
Since 2017: +26%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017NorthumberlandEngland
Pupils tested454554555358
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths64%51%22%40%62%38%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%2%0%3%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0101.097.098.0102.0102.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0101.095.0100.0102.099.0103.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.099.095.0101.0104.0107.0103.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%60%37%53%74%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard76%60%33%62%75%40%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)71%60%48%64%72%72%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.8-2.3-1.8+2.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.5-0.9-1.2-1.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged59%49%19%38%56%35%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged88%60%29%46%90%47%

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
59%88%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
61%67%
Gap 6 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 1.2 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 places245 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
58% full

175 places were empty (42% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 22% 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£86,500half sold for £57k to £110k
Homes sold63December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-59%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 roll253Census January 2026
Places44657% full
Pupils from low-income families53%60% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English13%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support30%77 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan10%25 pupils with a plan
Average class size20.012 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)56%£187,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls115 / 138
White British pupils83%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (46), Moderate learning difficulty (26), emotional and mental health (25), Physical disability (4), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll253288317354359376
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals53%55%53%54%56%56%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language13%12%10%8%5%6%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support26%27%29%31%24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans10%10%8%5%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.92024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.2%7.5%8.0%8.1%7.7%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.5%3.6%4.1%6.2%7.0%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.7%3.9%3.9%1.9%0.7%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.4%21.3%23.7%29.2%25.0%13.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.922.79.67.29.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions11000

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.3full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher13.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,268
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.22024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£9,150England £7,128. Total £2.4m
Income per pupil£8,813England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,363England £3,405
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £218k, £817 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£90kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£9,150spent 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 m21512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate127 per 1,000 people39% higher than the England average
Typical house price£207,950Northumberland
Nearest bus stop50 mCrematorium, 7 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
Malvin's Close AcademyAcademy670 m437Outstanding 202382Compare
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles217Requires improvement 20235Compare
Horton Grange Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles550Outstanding 202383Compare
Bede AcademyAcademy1.0 miles2,030Good 202460Compare
Croftway AcademyAcademy1.1 miles416Outstanding 202393Compare
Cambois Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles136Not inspected10Compare
Newsham Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles452No overall grade 202515Compare
New Delaval Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles219Good 202416Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Morpeth Road Academy with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats85%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 55 is 33 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 22 · highest 81100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Morpeth Road Academy, 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
Tyneview Primary SchoolAcademy10.9 miles257Report card 202680Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 55 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 55% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 34 to 73. 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%well below
-0.27
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 45 pupils
Ofsted inspection16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)well above
+0.36
Ofsted grade, 4.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.25
DfE progress measure; 45 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.31
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.05
2024/25; 223 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 45 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 Morpeth Road Academy a good school?

It is about average. Morpeth Road Academy scores 55 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 34 to 73, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Morpeth Road Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Morpeth Road Academy outstanding at its last full inspection on 16 March 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 Morpeth Road Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 64% 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 Morpeth Road Academy have?

253 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 446 places, so it is 57% full.

Is Morpeth Road Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 175 places were empty in 2024/25 (42% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Morpeth Road Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Morpeth Road Academy?

The average class had 20.0 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
Bates Avenue, Blyth, NE24 5TQ
Telephone
01670 351713
Website
morpethroad.wiseacademies.co.uk
Head of School
Mrs Felicity Troughton
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
WISE Academies (18 schools)
Local authority
Northumberland
Ward
Croft
Constituency
Blyth and Ashington
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 June 2013 (academy converter)
URN
139756 · LAESTAB 9292405 · UKPRN 10041862
Formerly
Morpeth Road Primary School

Where these figures come from