School Chooser

Parkhead Community Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil320 pupilsNurseryBlaydon-on-TyneGateshead
School Chooser Score
10
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 5 to 20
Out of 100. Better than 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2023
Reached the expected level at 1140%England 63%
Attendance93.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families48%Far more than most schools
Places86 spare320 pupils, 406 places
Pupils per teacher21.9School workforce census

Parkhead Community Primary School is a council school in Blaydon-on-Tyne for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 320 pupils and room for 406. About 48 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 10 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Park Lane, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, NE21 6LT0191 433 5618parkheadprimary.orgHeadteacher Helen Chard headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 10 May 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
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1140%
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 score99.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score98.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 59%59%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 65%65%20192023: 64%64%20232024: 54%54%20242025: 40%40%2025
Since 2017: -19%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017GatesheadEngland
Pupils tested305039434644
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths40%54%64%65%80%59%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%4%0%7%13%9%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score99.0103.0105.0102.0107.0101.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score98.0100.0101.0105.0108.0105.0105.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0102.0105.0105.0109.0106.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard50%66%82%70%83%66%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard50%58%69%84%89%75%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)63%68%85%81%89%91%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.0-1.6+1.2-0.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.7+1.1+3.2+2.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged25%38%62%60%77%43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged57%69%67%72%83%74%

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
25%57%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
44%36%
Gap 8 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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places278 pupils for 402 places, 2024/25
69% full

124 places were empty (31% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 roll320Census January 2026
Places40679% full
Pupils from low-income families48%48% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%50 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.912 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils8%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)48%£204,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls168 / 152
White British pupils87%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.6 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (16), language and communications needs (16), Autistic spectrum disorder (15), Moderate learning difficulty (8), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3), Other difficulty or disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll320303323324314319
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals48%47%43%43%42%40%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%10%7%6%5%6%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%15%16%13%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school11.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.1%7.4%7.6%7.1%3.3%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.0%6.1%5.4%5.9%2.8%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.3%2.3%1.2%0.5%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.6%21.4%26.0%23.4%8.7%7.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.72.51.50.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers14.0full-time equivalent, 17 people
Pupils per teacher21.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,182
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies1
Sick days per teacher0.72024/25

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£7,197England £7,738. Total £2.1m
Income per pupil£7,665England £7,697. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,372England £3,480
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £244k, £834 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£137kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,197spent 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 m16312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate95 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£165,000Gateshead
Nearest bus stop90 mPark Lane-Park View, 14 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
West Lane Primary SchoolCouncil880 m305Good 202237Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, BlaydonAcademy0.7 miles226Good 202373Compare
Blaydon West Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles166Good 202281Compare
Fellside Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles235Good 202288Compare
St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, BlaydonAcademy1.4 miles234No overall grade 202498Compare
Front Street Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.5 miles413Outstanding 202394Compare
Whickham Parochial Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.5 miles210Good 202290Compare
Swalwell Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles141Good 202312Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Parkhead Community Primary 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.

Beats22%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 10 is 15 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 25 · highest 91100

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 Parkhead Community 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
George Washington Primary SchoolAcademy7.6 miles384Not inspected23Compare
Esh Winning AcademyAcademy12.7 miles287Good 202325Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 10 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 10% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 5 to 20. 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
-0.23
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.14
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.21
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 242 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 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 Parkhead Community Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Parkhead Community Primary School scores 10 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 5 to 20, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Parkhead Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Parkhead Community Primary School good at its last full inspection on 10 May 2023.

How good are Parkhead Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 40% 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 Parkhead Community Primary School have?

320 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 406 places, so it is 79% full.

Is Parkhead Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 124 places were empty in 2024/25 (31% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Parkhead Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Parkhead Community Primary School?

The average class had 23.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 8% of classes 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
Park Lane, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, NE21 6LT
Telephone
0191 433 5618
Website
www.parkheadprimary.org
Headteacher
Headteacher Helen Chard
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Gateshead
Ward
Winlaton and High Spen
Constituency
Blaydon and Consett
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 1998
URN
131466 · LAESTAB 3902236 · UKPRN 10075247
Formerly
Winlaton Park Infant School and Nursery Unit, Winlaton Park Junior School

Where these figures come from