School Chooser

Oakfield Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedAcademy215 pupilsGateshead
School Chooser Score
80
Above
similar schools
Likely range 56 to 92, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 59% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1159%England 63%
Attendance96.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Places25 spare215 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher19.2School workforce census

Oakfield Junior School is a converter academy in Gateshead for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 215 pupils and room for 240. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 59% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Chowdene Bank, Gateshead, NE9 6JH0191 433 4086oakfield.smartacademies.netMs Helen Harkness executive headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 March 2023, 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”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
22 September 2021UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

56 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of Oakfield Junior School - Part of Oakfield Schools Federation, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1159%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
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: 72%72%20172018: 68%68%20182019: 68%68%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 57%57%20242025: 59%59%2025
Since 2017: -13%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†GatesheadEngland
Pupils tested566158595760
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths59%57%67%68%68%72%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%5%5%10%4%15%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0106.0107.0105.0105.0107.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0103.0106.0105.0105.0104.0105.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0106.0107.0108.0107.0108.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%79%86%81%84%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard77%69%81%78%77%77%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%75%76%88%86%85%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.2-0.6-1.4+0.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.1-1.2-1.5-2.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged13%50%17%17%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged64%69%75%78%

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 Oakfield Junior School - Part of Oakfield Schools Federation, the school this one replaced in October 2024. 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. 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
63%55%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 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.

A few spare places219 pupils for 240 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 21 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up.

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 Gateshead 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 roll215Census January 2026
Places24090% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%49 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.97 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)9%£29,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls109 / 106
White British pupils92%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (16), language and communications needs (10), Other difficulty or disability (9), emotional and mental health (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll215219
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support25%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.6%4.4%3.8%5.0%2.4%2.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%3.7%3.2%4.2%1.9%2.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.7%0.6%0.8%0.6%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.0%8.2%7.4%8.4%3.4%3.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0

† These attendance figures are for Oakfield Junior School - Part of Oakfield Schools Federation, the school this one replaced in October 2024. 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.

Teachers11.2full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher19.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,335
Teachers who left in the year5%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

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.

Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £164k, £749 per pupil
Money in against money out+£17kit took in more than it spent this year

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 m9612 months to June 2026, mostly shoplifting
Local crime rate54 per 1,000 people41% lower than the England average
Typical house price£165,000Gateshead
Nearest bus stop140 mChowdene Bank-The Lodges Road, 17 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
Oakfield Infant SchoolAcademy120 m128Good 202477Compare
Kells Lane Primary SchoolCouncil910 m453Good 202281Compare
Harlow Green Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles375Good 202346Compare
Glynwood Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles423No overall grade 202420Compare
St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Harlow GreenAcademy0.8 miles162Good 202382Compare
St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Low FellAcademy0.9 miles213Good 202095Compare
St Oswald's Catholic Primary, WrekentonAcademy1.2 miles191No overall grade 202448Compare
Larkspur Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles154No overall grade 20247Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Oakfield Junior School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats59%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 80 is 5 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 75 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Oakfield Junior 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
Clover Hill Community Primary SchoolCouncil3.5 miles210Good 202292Compare
St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, BlaydonAcademy5.9 miles234No overall grade 202498Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 56 to 92. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.37
2024/25; 221 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 Oakfield Junior School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Oakfield Junior School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 59% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 56 to 92, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Oakfield Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Oakfield Junior School good at its last full inspection on 1 March 2023.

How good are Oakfield Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 59% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Oakfield Junior School have?

215 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 90% full.

Is Oakfield Junior School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 21 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Oakfield Junior School?

Pupils were in school 96.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Oakfield Junior School?

The average class had 26.9 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
Chowdene Bank, Gateshead, NE9 6JH
Telephone
0191 433 4086
Website
oakfield.smartacademies.net
Executive Headteacher
Ms Helen Harkness
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Smart Multi Academy Trust (11 schools)
Local authority
Gateshead
Ward
Low Fell
Constituency
Gateshead Central and Whickham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2024 (academy converter)
URN
150640 · LAESTAB 3902049 · UKPRN 10094483
Formerly
Oakfield Junior School - Part of Oakfield Schools Federation

Where these figures come from