School Chooser

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic187 pupilsNewcastle-upon-TyneGateshead
School Chooser Score
73
Above
similar schools
Likely range 51 to 86, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 74% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance96.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families12%Far fewer than most schools
Places23 spare187 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher19.0School workforce census

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor is a converter academy in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 187 pupils and room for 210. About 12 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 73 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Byermoor, Burnopfield, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE16 6NU01207 270396sacredheartbyemoor.bwcet.comMr Sean Woods headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 June 2024, 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”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
7 October 2021UngradedSchool remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
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: 88%88%20172018: 85%85%20182019: 65%65%20192023: 69%69%20232024: 67%67%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: -14%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017GatesheadEngland
Pupils tested275432342017
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%67%69%65%85%88%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%11%22%9%5%12%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0107.0108.0106.0106.0107.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0105.0106.0107.0106.0107.0105.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0107.0106.0107.0107.0109.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard93%85%88%74%90%94%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard74%81%78%85%95%88%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)93%76%78%85%95%94%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.0+1.6-0.4+2.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.9+2.0+1.0+1.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged46%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged76%

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
77%71%
Gap 6 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places197 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
94% full

About 13 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 17% 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 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 roll187Census January 2026
Places21089% full
Pupils from low-income families12%12% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%31 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.77 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils29%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)12%£34,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls86 / 101
White British pupils96%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (16), Specific learning difficulty (8), emotional and mental health (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll187197232229237243
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals12%10%9%6%7%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%3%2%2%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%8%8%9%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.9%5.5%4.8%5.4%8.2%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%4.0%3.5%4.1%7.4%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.5%1.3%1.2%0.8%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.1%9.8%7.8%7.0%28.2%8.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.9full-time equivalent, 13 people
Pupils per teacher19.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,412
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.72024/25

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£6,563England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£7,254England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,112England £3,405
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £61k, £307 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£136kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,563spent 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 m1012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate55 per 1,000 people40% lower than the England average
Typical house price£165,000Gateshead
Nearest bus stop100 mLobley Hill Road-Sacred Heart, 6 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
Burnopfield Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles351Report card 202665Compare
Clover Hill Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.7 miles210Good 202292Compare
Rowlands Gill Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.7 miles204Good 202346Compare
Whickham Parochial Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.8 miles210Good 202290Compare
Tanfield Lea Community Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles325Report card 202653Compare
Highfield Community Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles112Good 202422Compare
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, HighfieldRoman Catholic2.1 miles81Good 202355Compare
Fellside Community Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles235Good 202288Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor 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.

Beats74%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 73 is 20 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 15 · middle 52 · highest 99100

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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor, 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
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, CullercoatsAcademy13.3 miles185Good 202078Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 73 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 73% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 51 to 86. 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 years25%in line
+0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 27 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.08
DfE progress measure; 27 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 177 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 27 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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor scores 73 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 51 to 86, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor good at its last full inspection on 11 June 2024.

How good are Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor have?

187 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 89% full.

Is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor oversubscribed?

Probably not. 13 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor?

Pupils were in school 96.1% 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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor?

The average class had 26.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 29% 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
Byermoor, Burnopfield, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE16 6NU
Telephone
01207 270396
Website
www.sacredheartbyemoor.bwcet.com
Headteacher
Mr Sean Woods
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Multi-academy trust
Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust (46 schools)
Local authority
Gateshead
Ward
Whickham South and Sunniside
Constituency
Gateshead Central and Whickham
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2014 (academy converter)
URN
140638 · LAESTAB 3903329 · UKPRN 10045196
Formerly
Sacred Heart RC Voluntary Aided Primary School

Where these figures come from