School Chooser

West Lane Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil305 pupilsNurseryBlaydon-on-TyneGateshead
School Chooser Score
37
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 20 to 58
Out of 100. Better than 41% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, November 2022
Reached the expected level at 1153%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families28%About the same as most schools in England
Places119 spare305 pupils, 424 places
Pupils per teacher20.2School workforce census

West Lane Primary School is a council school in Blaydon-on-Tyne for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 305 pupils and room for 424. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 37 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

West Lane, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, NE21 6PH0191 414 2557wwlcp.schoolMrs Colette Bell headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 2 November 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.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1153%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 70%70%20172018: 77%77%20182019: 76%76%20192023: 60%60%20232024: 61%61%20242025: 53%53%2025
Since 2017: -17%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017GatesheadEngland
Pupils tested585442505237
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths53%61%60%76%77%70%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%0%2%10%8%11%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0104.0104.0107.0106.0108.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0104.0105.0107.0106.0106.0105.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0106.0109.0107.0107.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard76%76%64%84%88%95%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard64%85%86%88%88%81%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%72%81%84%87%73%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.7+2.8+2.9+3.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.6+2.2+3.1+2.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged42%67%47%52%69%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged62%58%70%93%79%83%

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. 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
42%62%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
38%66%
Gap 28 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%3%
Gap 3 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.

Plenty of spare places305 pupils for 370 places, 2024/25
82% full

65 places were empty (18% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% 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 roll305Census January 2026
Places42472% full
Pupils from low-income families28%28% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%37 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.213 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)27%£116,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls165 / 140
White British pupils94%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (12), Autistic spectrum disorder (10), emotional and mental health (8), language and communications needs (8), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll305343366361393416
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%28%28%29%29%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%2%1%0%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%11%8%8%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%5.2%5.6%6.3%2.4%3.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.4%4.0%4.8%1.6%1.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.8%1.6%1.5%0.8%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.4%13.4%15.4%19.1%4.1%5.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.90.60.30.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers14.8full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher20.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants13.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,165
Teachers who left in the year7%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.92024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£6,575England £7,738. Total £2.2m
Income per pupil£6,555England £7,697. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,079England £3,480
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £250k, £752 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£6,497it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,575spent 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 m20512 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate95 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£165,000Gateshead
Nearest bus stop20 mWinlaton West Lane Community Primary School, 23 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
Parkhead Community Primary SchoolCouncil880 m320Good 202310Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, BlaydonAcademy0.9 miles226Good 202373Compare
Blaydon West Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles166Good 202281Compare
St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, BlaydonAcademy1.3 miles234No overall grade 202498Compare
Crookhill Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.5 miles186Good 202258Compare
Rowlands Gill Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles204Good 202346Compare
Fellside Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.9 miles235Good 202288Compare
St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells CloseAcademy1.9 miles83Good 202447Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares West Lane Primary School 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.

Beats41%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 37 is 4 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 41 · highest 86100

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 West Lane 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
Lobley Hill Primary SchoolCouncil3.8 miles350Not inspected46Compare
Harlow Green Community Primary SchoolCouncil5.9 miles375Good 202346Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 37 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 37% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 20 to 58. 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
-0.11
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 58 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.01
DfE progress measure; 58 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.06
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 276 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 58 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 West Lane Primary School a good school?

It is about average. West Lane Primary School scores 37 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 20 to 58, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is West Lane Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated West Lane Primary School good at its last full inspection on 2 November 2022.

How good are West Lane Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 53% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does West Lane Primary School have?

305 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 424 places, so it is 72% full.

Is West Lane Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 65 places were empty in 2024/25 (18% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at West Lane Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at West Lane Primary School?

The average class had 23.2 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
West Lane, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, NE21 6PH
Telephone
0191 414 2557
Website
www.wwlcp.school
Headteacher
Mrs Colette Bell
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Gateshead
Ward
Winlaton and High Spen
Constituency
Blaydon and Consett
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
108346 · LAESTAB 3902177 · UKPRN 10072219

Where these figures come from