School Chooser

Riverside Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil148 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubNorth ShieldsNorth Tyneside
School Chooser Score
8
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 4 to 18
Out of 100. Better than 26% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedRequires improvementLast Ofsted inspection, July 2024
Reached the expected level at 1159%England 63%
Attendance92.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families83%Far more than most schools
Places88 spare148 pupils, 236 places
Pupils per teacher12.7School workforce census

Riverside Primary School is a council school in North Shields for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 148 pupils and room for 236. About 82 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 8 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2024.

Minton Lane, North Shields, NE29 6DQ0191 296 3586riversideprimary.org.ukMrs Angela Yilmaz 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.

Requires improvement overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Requires improvement
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1159%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 21%21%20172018: 81%81%20182019: 77%77%20192023: 44%44%20232024: 61%61%20242025: 59%59%2025
Since 2017: +38%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017North TynesideEngland
Pupils tested221825222114
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths59%61%44%77%81%21%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%6%4%5%14%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0104.0103.0105.0108.098.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0102.099.0108.0105.0100.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0102.0102.0105.0110.0103.0105.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard73%72%60%77%86%29%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard64%61%48%91%81%50%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)68%67%52%95%95%79%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.4+0.8+2.9-4.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.8+3.4+0.8-3.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged69%70%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged89%91%

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. 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
64%55%
Gap 9 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.

Plenty of spare places137 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
65% full

73 places were empty (35% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 6% 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 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 roll148Census January 2026
Places23663% full
Pupils from low-income families70%83% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support40%59 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan10%14 pupils with a plan
Average class size16.49 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)74%£147,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls73 / 75
White British pupils95%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 18.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 17.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (37), Autistic spectrum disorder (16), emotional and mental health (14), Specific learning difficulty (3), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll148156158160168174
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals70%68%68%68%64%59%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%3%1%1%1%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support40%33%24%19%17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%1%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school24.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.3%7.3%8.1%7.1%4.8%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.2%4.1%3.3%4.0%2.4%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%3.3%4.8%3.1%2.4%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence24.0%26.4%25.2%24.6%16.3%9.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.15.71.30.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.8full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher12.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,346
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.62024/25

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£10,145England £7,738. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£9,367England £7,697. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,319England £3,480
Money in reserve-8%In the red: -£110k, -£756 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£113kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£10,145spent 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 m47312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate180 per 1,000 people98% higher than the England average
Typical house price£210,000North Tyneside
Nearest bus stop180 mWaterville Road-Silkeys Lane, 13 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
Waterville Primary SchoolCouncil480 m209Good 202047Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North ShieldsAcademy610 m193Good 202424Compare
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North ShieldsAcademy890 m224Not inspected77Compare
Collingwood Primary SchoolCouncil950 m342Good 202352Compare
Percy Main Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles205Good 202243Compare
Spring Gardens Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles314Requires improvement 20212Compare
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles169Good 202230Compare
Hadrian Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles261Good 202245Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Riverside Primary School with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats26%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 8 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 18 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Riverside 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
Biddick Hall Junior SchoolCouncil2.6 miles211No overall grade 202498Compare
Choppington Primary SchoolCouncil11.8 miles109No overall grade 202431Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 8 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 8% 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 18. 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
-0.16
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 22 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.57
Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.16
DfE progress measure; 22 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.13
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.15
2024/25; 129 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.14
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 22 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 Riverside Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Riverside Primary School scores 8 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 18, 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 Riverside Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Riverside Primary School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 2 July 2024.

How good are Riverside Primary 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%. 14% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Riverside Primary School have?

148 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 236 places, so it is 63% full.

Is Riverside Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 73 places were empty in 2024/25 (35% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Riverside Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Riverside Primary School?

The average class had 16.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Riverside Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Minton Lane, North Shields, NE29 6DQ
Telephone
0191 296 3586
Website
www.riversideprimary.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Angela Yilmaz
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
North Tyneside
Ward
North Shields
Constituency
Tynemouth
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
108575 · LAESTAB 3922021 · UKPRN 10077171

Where these figures come from