NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School
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NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Newbiggin-By-the-Sea for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 372 pupils and room for 594. About 43 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 7 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Central Parkway, Newbiggin-By-the-Sea, NE64 6RT01670 812019gracedarling.ncea.org.ukMrs Sharon Cole headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 2 July 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Earlier inspections (2)
| Date | Type | Outcome | Inspected as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 June 2023 | Serious Weaknesses S5 Reinspection | Requires improvement | NCEA Duke's Secondary School (predecessor) |
| 18 October 2022 | S5 Inspection | Good | NCEA Bishop's Primary School (predecessor) |
† These inspections are for NCEA Bishop's Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
188 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England. These are the results of NCEA Bishop's Primary School, the school this one replaced.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2022† | 2019† | 2018† | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 188 | 180 | 167 | 146 | 144 | 146 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 32.0 | 34.0 | 39.7 | 39.7 | 36.5 | 36.9 | 44.5 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -1.05 | -0.97 | -1.16 | -0.93 | -0.61 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 21% | 26% | 34% | 33% | 19% | 30% | 40% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 42% | 46% | 56% | 53% | 43% | 46% | 63% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.54 | 2.62 | 3.06 | 3.02 | 3.14 | 3.20 | 3.85 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 11% | 5% | 8% | 12% | 65% | 52% | 31% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 26.1 | 29.9 | 31.6 | 33.9 | 30.5 | 28.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 37.6 | 37.3 | 45.1 | 43.9 | 41.4 | 43.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 20.1 | 24.8 | 23.2 | 18.9 | 16.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 48.2 | 50.8 | 54.4 | 48.7 | 55.5 | – | – |
† These results are for NCEA Bishop's Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
54 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 54 | 58 | 46 | 184 | 172 | 173 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 24% | 38% | 67% | 65% | 73% | 66% | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 2% | 2% | 4% | 9% | 12% | 6% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 98.0 | 100.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 104.0 | 104.5 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 98.0 | 99.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 103.6 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 96.0 | 98.0 | 103.0 | 105.0 | 106.0 | 104.0 | 103.7 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 44% | 59% | 76% | 77% | 79% | 77% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 37% | 43% | 83% | 79% | 85% | 79% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 46% | 59% | 74% | 84% | 81% | 76% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +0.2 | +1.9 | +1.1 | +3.9 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +1.2 | +1.2 | +2.2 | +3.9 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 11% | 31% | 56% | 56% | 66% | 56% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 37% | 46% | 84% | 76% | 80% | 80% | – | – |
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.
† These results are for NCEA Bishop's Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
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. 4 of the 6 gaps are 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
At the end of primary school, 2025
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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Northumberland council has drawn an official catchment area for this school. You can see it on the map below; it covers about 7.3 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.
165 places were empty (34% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 9% 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
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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 23.1 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (62), emotional and mental health (36), Moderate learning difficulty (25), Autistic spectrum disorder (14), Physical disability (7), Other difficulty or disability (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 372 | 412 | 438 | 449 | 449 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 37% | 39% | 41% | 40% | 39% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 2% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 35% | 33% | 40% | 36% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 7% | 8% | 4% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.9% | 9.1% | 8.9% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.8% | 5.9% | 7.0% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.1% | 3.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 1.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 21.6% | 30.4% | 34.6% | 28.0% | 11.6% | 11.4% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 11.7 | 8.9 | 4.0 | 1.6 | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for NCEA Bishop's Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCEA Bishop's Primary School | Academy | 1.0 miles | 448 | Good 2022 | 12 | Compare |
| NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 253 | Good 2024 | 19 | Compare |
| St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington | Academy | 1.1 miles | 238 | Good 2021 | 81 | Compare |
| Central Academy | Academy | 1.7 miles | – | Good 2023 | – | Compare |
| NCEA James Knott CofE Primary School | Academy | 1.8 miles | 213 | No overall grade 2024 | 47 | Compare |
| NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School | Academy | 2.1 miles | 125 | Good 2024 | 12 | Compare |
| Bothal Academy | Academy | 2.4 miles | – | Outstanding 2023 | – | Compare |
| Stakeford Primary School | Council | 2.4 miles | 162 | Good 2024 | 9 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School 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.
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 NCEA Grace Darling CofE 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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCEA Bishop's Primary School | Academy | 1.0 miles | 448 | Good 2022 | 12 | Compare |
| Malvin's Close Academy | Academy | 4.0 miles | 437 | Outstanding 2023 | 82 | Compare |
| Newsham Primary School | Council | 4.9 miles | 452 | No overall grade 2025 | 15 | Compare |
| Denbigh Community Primary School | Academy | 12.8 miles | 436 | No overall grade 2025 | 91 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 7 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 7% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 4 to 12. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | well below | -0.32 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 54 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.05 | DfE progress measure; 54 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.27 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.15 | 2024/25; 305 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.17 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 54 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School a good school?
The figures are weak. NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School scores 7 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 12, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 2 July 2024.
How good are NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 21% 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 32.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 24% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School have?
372 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 594 places, so it is 63% full.
Is NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 165 places were empty in 2024/25 (34% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School?
Pupils were in school 92.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School?
The average class had 19.9 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
- Central Parkway, Newbiggin-By-the-Sea, NE64 6RT
- Telephone
- 01670 812019
- Website
- gracedarling.ncea.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sharon Cole
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of Newcastle
- Multi-academy trust
- Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust (9 schools)
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- Ward
- Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
- Constituency
- Blyth and Ashington
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2021 (split school)
- URN
- 148765 · LAESTAB 9292013 · UKPRN 10089408
- Formerly
- NCEA Bishop's Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Catchment area: Northumberland council open data (Open Government Licence), reprojected to WGS84.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.