In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were below England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.
Newcastle upon Tyne at a glance
Strong results at 11, weaker results at 16
How Newcastle upon Tyne's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries18572 primary · 16 secondary · 79 nurseries
Primaries Good or better98%England 96%
Met the standard at 1166%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths45%Attainment 8 43.8, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary43%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school21%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Newcastle upon Tyne
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a metropolitan borough in the North East with 72 mainstream primary schools and 16 mainstream secondary schools. It has 4 middle schools, so some children change school at a different age. 79.0% got their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England.
Good to know in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle schools offer every child a full year in reception, whatever date they turn 5. Source
Individual Newcastle schools set their own term dates, so check the school's own website; the council's dates cover its nursery schools and Byker Primary School. Source
Newcastle has first, middle and high schools: children in a first school apply for a middle school for Year 5. Source
Children in a middle school apply for a high school place for Year 9. Source
Newcastle City Council coordinates in-year admissions for every school in the city except independent schools and North East Futures UTC. Source
From Newcastle upon Tyne council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
92.7%got their first-choice primary school in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 78 of 151 councils. 98.2% got one of their top three.5.4% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
79.0%got their first-choice secondary school in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 103 of 151 councils. 91.4% got one of their top three.5.9% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
9 of 29 primary appeals heard in Newcastle upon Tyne succeeded in 2025. 71 of 131 secondary appeals heard in Newcastle upon Tyne succeeded in 2025.
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon TyneEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 49 primaries with one.
98%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
10 of the 11 with a grade.
91%
England 93%
Close to England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
66%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
45%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
21%
England 18%
Worse than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
43%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 65 schools that have one.
97%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding5
Good58
Requires improvement2
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Newcastle upon Tyne in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1166% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths45% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school21% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Newcastle upon Tyne
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
97%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
66%
62%
Attainment 8
43.8
46.2
Persistent absence
21%
18%
Pupils per teacher
17.7:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£8,206
£8,120
In education or work after 16
88%
91%
Went on to higher education
55%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
22%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
28%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
44%
27%
DfE local authority code 391, ONS code E08000021.
Living here
What it's like for families
Newcastle upon Tyne has 185 schools and nurseries.
There are 8% more pupils than in 2018.
43% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Newcastle upon Tyne's state schools each January.
39.4k2018
40.8k2019
41.6k2021
42.2k2022
42.6k2023
42.9k2024
42.8k2025
42.7k2026
Up 8% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Newcastle upon Tyne43%
Keep up with schools in Newcastle upon Tyne
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Newcastle upon Tyne has 185 schools, including 90 primary schools, 30 secondary schools, 79 nurseries, 7 independent schools, 7 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Newcastle upon Tyne?+
The highest-ranked schools in Newcastle upon Tyne on Eduscope are West Jesmond Primary School, Throckley Primary School, St Mary's Catholic School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Newcastle upon Tyne are rated Good or Outstanding?+
97% of inspected schools in Newcastle upon Tyne hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 5 schools rated Outstanding and 58 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Newcastle upon Tyne perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Newcastle upon Tyne, 66% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Newcastle upon Tyne?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Newcastle upon Tyne is 17.7:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Newcastle upon Tyne schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Newcastle upon Tyne is 20.5%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Newcastle upon Tyne?+
There are 42,677 pupils enrolled across schools in Newcastle upon Tyne, with 22,693 in primary and 19,722 in secondary. 43.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Newcastle upon Tyne?+
There are 7 independent schools in Newcastle upon Tyne. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Newcastle upon Tyne on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Newcastle upon Tyne?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 185 schools in Newcastle upon Tyne by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
