School Chooser

Spring Gardens Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy314 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubNorth ShieldsNorth Tyneside
School Chooser Score
2
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 1 to 5
Out of 100. Better than 2% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedRequires improvementLast Ofsted inspection, December 2021
Reached the expected level at 1141%England 63%
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families39%Far more than most schools
Places138 spare314 pupils, 452 places
Pupils per teacher18.1School workforce census

Spring Gardens Primary School is a converter academy in North Shields for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 314 pupils and room for 452. About 39 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 2 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2021.

Brightman Road, North Shields, NE29 0HP0191 300 9750springgardensprimary.org.ukMr Timothy Jones headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 December 2021, 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”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1141%
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 score103.0
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: 66%66%20172018: 69%69%20182019: 62%62%20192023: 40%40%20232024: 58%58%20242025: 41%41%2025
Since 2017: -25%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024†2023†2019†2018†2017†North TynesideEngland
Pupils tested495053605259
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths41%58%40%62%69%66%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%4%0%8%6%7%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0104.0102.0102.0104.0102.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0104.0101.0103.0104.0103.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0103.0104.0105.0103.0105.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard61%74%60%68%79%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard61%74%60%75%79%71%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)55%64%62%72%81%75%
Reading progressReading progress score-4.4+0.3+1.7-1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.9+0.3+1.5-0.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%39%40%48%58%58%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged48%82%39%74%81%73%

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.

† These results are for Spring Gardens Primary School, the school this one replaced in March 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
33%48%
Gap 15 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
38%45%
Gap 7 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

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places297 pupils for 413 places, 2024/25
72% full

116 places were empty (28% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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 roll314Census January 2026
Places45269% full
Pupils from low-income families36%39% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English7%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support26%81 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.914 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)37%£156,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls144 / 170
White British pupils87%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (38), emotional and mental health (17), Autistic spectrum disorder (11), Specific learning difficulty (9), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7), Moderate learning difficulty (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll314343
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals36%39%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language7%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.92024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.5%6.0%5.8%8.1%3.6%4.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%4.2%4.0%6.0%2.6%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.3%1.8%1.8%2.1%1.0%1.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.4%17.4%17.4%31.0%8.3%9.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions1

† These attendance figures are for Spring Gardens Primary School, the school this one replaced in March 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers16.8full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher18.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,702
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.02024/25

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£6,895England £7,128. Total £2.2m
Income per pupil£7,369England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,757England £3,405
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £205k, £632 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£154kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,895spent 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 m79512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate207 per 1,000 people127% higher than the England average
Typical house price£210,000North Tyneside
Nearest bus stop200 mAlbion Road West-Coach Lane, 24 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
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North ShieldsAcademy430 m224Not inspected77Compare
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England450 m169Good 202230Compare
Waterville Primary SchoolCouncil830 m209Good 202047Compare
King Edward Primary SchoolFoundation850 m473No overall grade 202540Compare
Collingwood Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles342Good 202352Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North ShieldsAcademy0.7 miles193Good 202424Compare
Riverside Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles148Requires improvement 20248Compare
Whitehouse Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles137Inadequate 20221Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Spring Gardens 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.

Beats2%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 2 is 31 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 33 · 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 Spring Gardens 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
Ashley AcademyAcademy2.5 miles396No overall grade 202537Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy3.4 miles278Good 202378Compare
South Hylton Primary AcademyAcademy7.4 miles252Report card 202530Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 2 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 2% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 1 to 5. 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
-0.28
2025 results; 49 pupils
Ofsted inspection16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)well below
-0.53
Ofsted grade, 4.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.25
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 49 pupils
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 283 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 49 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 Spring Gardens Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Spring Gardens Primary School scores 2 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 5, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Spring Gardens Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Spring Gardens Primary School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 8 December 2021. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Spring Gardens Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 41% 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 Spring Gardens Primary School have?

314 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 452 places, so it is 69% full.

Is Spring Gardens Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 116 places were empty in 2024/25 (28% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Spring Gardens Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Spring Gardens Primary School?

The average class had 21.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Spring Gardens 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
Brightman Road, North Shields, NE29 0HP
Telephone
0191 300 9750
Website
www.springgardensprimary.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr Timothy Jones
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
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Centurion Multi-Academy Trust (4 schools)
Local authority
North Tyneside
Ward
Preston with Preston Grange
Constituency
Tynemouth
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2024 (academy converter)
URN
150331 · LAESTAB 3922016 · UKPRN 10093924
Formerly
Spring Gardens Primary School

Where these figures come from