School Chooser

St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic224 pupilsNurseryNorth ShieldsNorth Tyneside
School Chooser Score
77
Above
similar schools
Likely range 48 to 91, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1184%England 63%
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families37%Far more than most schools
Places18 spare224 pupils, 242 places
Pupils per teacher19.0School workforce census
Pupils on roll224Census January 2026

St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields is a converter academy in North Shields for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 224 pupils and room for 242. About 37 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it.

Lovaine Place, North Shields, NE29 0BU0191 691 9876stcuthbertsrcprimary.co.ukMr Shaun Dillon headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

19 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 1184%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level16%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 83%83%20172018: 71%71%20182019: 94%94%20192023: 75%75%20232024: 69%69%20242025: 84%84%2025
Since 2017: +1%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†North TynesideEngland
Pupils tested192628312830
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths84%69%75%94%71%83%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths16%12%0%10%11%17%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0109.0107.0107.0105.0110.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0104.0105.0106.0106.0106.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0107.0105.0112.0106.0110.0105.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard89%96%89%94%75%90%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard89%77%89%94%89%90%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)84%81%79%100%89%83%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.4+3.2-0.2+7.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.0+2.0+1.1+3.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%82%90%75%64%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged81%71%95%69%100%

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 St Cuthberts Roman Catholic Primary School Aided, the school this one replaced in August 2021. 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. 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
80%89%
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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full196 pupils for 205 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 roll224Census January 2026
Places24293% full
Pupils from low-income families33%37% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%17 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.08 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)35%£110,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls104 / 120
White British pupils76%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (18), emotional and mental health (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Hearing impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll224225212215224
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals33%31%35%29%27%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%13%13%13%15%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%18%13%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school11.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.6%5.2%5.2%6.5%4.5%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.0%3.5%3.7%5.2%3.7%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.7%1.6%1.3%0.7%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.9%18.2%12.6%18.6%10.1%6.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for St Cuthberts Roman Catholic Primary School Aided, the school this one replaced in August 2021. 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.

Teachers11.1full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher19.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,995
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher13.02024/25

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£6,029England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£6,352England £7,587. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,919England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £200k, £951 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£68kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,029spent 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 m1,48712 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 stop30 mSt Cuthberts Rc Primary School, 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
Spring Gardens Primary SchoolAcademy430 m314Requires improvement 20212Compare
Waterville Primary SchoolCouncil460 m209Good 202047Compare
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England590 m169Good 202230Compare
Riverside Primary SchoolCouncil890 m148Requires improvement 20248Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North ShieldsAcademy0.7 miles193Good 202424Compare
King Edward Primary SchoolFoundation0.7 miles473No overall grade 202540Compare
Collingwood Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles342Good 202352Compare
Hadrian Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles261Good 202245Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields 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.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 77 is 46 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 31 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 48 to 91. 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
+0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 19 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.08
DfE progress measure; 19 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.19
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 168 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.21
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 19 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 St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 48 to 91, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

How good are St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 84% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 16% 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 St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields have?

224 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 242 places, so it is 93% full.

Is St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?

The average class had 28.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Lovaine Place, North Shields, NE29 0BU
Telephone
0191 691 9876
Website
www.stcuthbertsrcprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Shaun Dillon
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Multi-academy trust
Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust (39 schools)
Local authority
North Tyneside
Ward
North Shields
Constituency
Tynemouth
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 August 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148448 · LAESTAB 3923305 · UKPRN 10087735
Formerly
St Cuthberts Roman Catholic Primary School Aided

Where these figures come from