South Gosforth First School
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South Gosforth First School is a foundation school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for boys and girls aged 3 to 9. It has 325 pupils and room for 326. About 4 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 68 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 25% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Alnmouth Drive, South Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE3 1YF0191 285 3453southgosforth.newcastle.sch.ukMr Robert Adams headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 29 June 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
No published results yet for this school.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
The school is full, with 1 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 1.1 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.1 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 60 | 187 | 60 | 1.1 miles | LA |
| 2025 Primary | 60 | 181 | 59 | – all offered | LA |
What a home within 1.1 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.5 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (6), emotional and mental health (6), Specific learning difficulty (5), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Hearing impairment (1), language and communications needs (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 325 | 329 | 329 | 296 | 298 | 300 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 4% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 6% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 9% | 9% | 9% | 11% | 8% | 7% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 6% | 6% | 7% | 3% | 4% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 0.9% | 1.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 5.3% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 5.7% | 0.0% | 2.2% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Runcie CofE First School | Church of England | 810 m | 164 | No overall grade 2024 | 60 | Compare |
| Gosforth Central Middle School | Foundation | 0.7 miles | 600 | Good 2024 | 72 | Compare |
| Archibald First School | Foundation | 0.7 miles | 332 | No overall grade 2025 | 92 | Compare |
| West Jesmond Primary School | Foundation | 0.8 miles | 605 | No overall grade 2025 | 99 | Compare |
| Gosforth Junior High Academy | Academy | 0.8 miles | 695 | Good 2023 | 65 | Compare |
| Cragside Primary School | Foundation | 0.9 miles | 410 | No overall grade 2025 | 95 | Compare |
| St Charles' Catholic Primary School | Academy | 1.0 miles | 241 | Good 2023 | 97 | Compare |
| Gosforth East Middle School | Foundation | 1.0 miles | 557 | Good 2023 | 61 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares South Gosforth First School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than South Gosforth First 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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gosforth Park First School | Foundation | 1.1 miles | 299 | No overall grade 2025 | 99 | Compare |
| Southridge First School | Council | 6.4 miles | 321 | Good 2022 | 84 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 68 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 68% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 40 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.15 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well above | +0.34 | 2024/25; 247 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 South Gosforth First School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. South Gosforth First School scores 68 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 25% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 40 to 86, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is South Gosforth First School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated South Gosforth First School good at its last full inspection on 29 June 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How many pupils does South Gosforth First School have?
325 pupils aged 3 to 9 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 326 places, so it is 100% full.
Is South Gosforth First School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.1 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at South Gosforth First School?
Pupils were in school 97.0% 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 South Gosforth First School?
The average class had 29.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 11% 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
- Alnmouth Drive, South Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE3 1YF
- Telephone
- 0191 285 3453
- Website
- www.southgosforth.newcastle.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Robert Adams
- Type of school
- Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-9, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- Gosforth Schools' Trust (10 schools)
- Local authority
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Ward
- Dene & South Gosforth
- Constituency
- Newcastle upon Tyne North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 108439 · LAESTAB 3912002 · UKPRN 10078743
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Newcastle upon Tyne council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2025, 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.