School Chooser

Silverdale School

Special · ages 3-16MixedFoundation special school138 pupilsNurseryWallsendNorth Tyneside
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedReport cardOfsted report card, February 2026
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Attendance79.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families80%Far more than most schools
Parents would recommend83%24 Parent View responses
Places12 spare138 pupils, 150 places

Silverdale School is a foundation special school in Wallsend for boys and girls aged 3 to 16. It has 138 pupils and room for 150. About 80 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted visited in February 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Langdale Gardens, Howdon, Wallsend, NE28 0HG0191 605 3230silverdaleschool.comMiss Emma Webster headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 February 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (2)
DateTypeOutcome
9 April 2025S8 No Formal Designation VisitNot judged
24 May 2023UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

18 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score6.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-1.93In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 3.43.420182019: 5.95.920192022: 7.87.820222023: 5.35.320232024: 6.76.720242025: 6.76.72025
Since 2018: +3.3
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018North TynesideEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 111822101699
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 86.76.75.37.85.93.447.146.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-1.93-2.17-2.33-2.61-2.86
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%6%0%0%43%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%5%0%6%0%0%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score0.200.160.150.240.170.094.114.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%33%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged5.9
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers5.75.94.5

Subjects

Results came out for 3 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Art and Design (47% here, 58% across England).

What is taught here
SciencesBiology6

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Art and Design15 entries
47%England 58%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Art and Design150%47%73%58%
Mathematics70%0%14%53%
Biology60%0%17%82%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

15 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 110%
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 scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
2016: 9%9%20162017: 0%0%20172019: 0%0%20192024: 0%0%20242025: 0%0%2025
Since 2016: -9%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242019201820172016North TynesideEngland
Pupils tested15131151111
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%9%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score97.094.095.094.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score92.091.084.094.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score92.088.091.0105.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard0%8%18%18%27%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard0%0%0%0%9%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)0%0%0%0%18%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.0-0.6-4.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-8.8-11.6-4.2

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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

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.

What parents say

Would recommend the school83%England 84%
My child is happy here67%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe75%
Positive overall78%
My child is happy at this school
67%England 85%
My child feels safe at this school
75%England 86%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
67%England 79%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
29% yesEngland 20%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
72%England 49%
My child gets the right support to learn well
79%England 81%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
100% yesEngland 32%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
75%England 68%
The school communicates well with me
71%England 78%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
75%England 66%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
79%England 78%
I would recommend this school
83%England 84%
Overall view of the school is positive
78%England 79%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 24 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for all schools with enough answers to publish.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll138Census January 2026
Places15092% full
Pupils from low-income families80%80% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%138 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)74%£127,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls111 / 27
White British pupils96%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, social, emotional and mental health.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in North Tyneside with autism provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (118), Autistic spectrum disorder (10), language and communications needs (8), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll138127133122112101
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals80%83%81%79%79%70%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%2%2%2%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%1%3%1%2%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%99%97%99%98%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 79.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance79.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school47.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils66.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission11.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence20.4%16.7%15.4%18.0%17.3%9.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence8.8%7.4%5.9%9.2%11.6%4.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence11.6%9.4%9.5%8.9%5.7%5.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence47.6%47.4%45.4%46.5%53.3%25.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate66.961.769.734.814.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01000

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 10 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training70%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training70%56%53%78%
Education70%56%53%78%
Apprenticeship0%0%0%0%
Work0%0%0%0%
Not in education, work or training20%25%27%11%

Staff and money

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

Teachers21.5full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher6.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants44.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,016
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher14.22024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£33,688England £32,258. Total £4.3m
Income per pupil£33,800England £32,367. Total £4.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£9,816England £11,930
Money in reserve-3%In the red: -£128k, -£1,010 per pupil. England 7%
Money in against money out+£14kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£33,688spent 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 m28512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate99 per 1,000 people9% higher than the England average
Typical house price£210,000North Tyneside
Nearest bus stop240 mSilverlink Shopping Park, 12 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, WallsendAcademy500 m222Not inspected72Compare
Churchill AcademyAcademy650 mNot inspectedCompare
Denbigh Community Primary SchoolAcademy780 m436No overall grade 202591Compare
Stephenson Memorial Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles324Good 202463Compare
Hadrian Park Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles431Good 202352Compare
Battle Hill Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles286Good 20228Compare
Norham High SchoolFoundation1.0 miles498Good 202244Compare
Collingwood Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles342Good 202352Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Silverdale School a good school?

Silverdale School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted's report card from February 2026 rated its teaching as .

What is Silverdale School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 February 2026 it rated .

How good are Silverdale School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% 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 6.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How good are Silverdale School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 0% 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. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Silverdale School have?

138 pupils aged 3 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 150 places, so it is 92% full.

What is attendance like at Silverdale School?

Pupils were in school 79.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 48% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Silverdale School?

83% of the 24 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 67% say their child is happy there. Across England, 84% of parents would recommend their child's school.

Does Silverdale School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for autism, social, emotional and mental health. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Langdale Gardens, Howdon, Wallsend, NE28 0HG
Telephone
0191 605 3230
Website
www.silverdaleschool.com
Headteacher
Miss Emma Webster
Type of school
Foundation special school (Foundation special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 3-16, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
North Tyneside
Ward
Howdon
Constituency
Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2001
URN
133432 · LAESTAB 3927007 · UKPRN 10017482

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from