Havannah First School

About Havannah First School

Havannah First School is a state primary in Newcastle upon Tyne that currently educates 300 pupils against a capacity of 330, meaning it has a small number of spare places but is far from under-enrolled. Its intake is notably less disadvantaged than the local average: just 6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with a national primary average of around 23% and a Newcastle LA figure that typically sits higher. This suggests a largely middle-catchment family profile. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 258 total applications for 89 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.9 applicants per place. Of those, 112 were first-preference applications, and all 89 first-preference offers were accepted, indicating that most families who put it top got in, but competition remains stiff. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and serves ages 4 to 9, so parents will need to plan for a separate Year 5 transition to a middle or junior school.

Academically, Havannah holds a Good rating from Ofsted, confirmed in its most recent ungraded inspection in July 2023, where the school was judged to have remained Good. The previous graded inspection in December 2013 also awarded Good overall, with leadership and management and early years provision both rated Good at that time. The school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results in the data provided, so direct comparison with the Newcastle LA average of 63% achieving the expected standard is not possible here. However, the consistent Good rating across two inspections spanning a decade suggests stable quality. The school has no sixth form, as it finishes at Year 4, and no nursery provision, so its academic focus is squarely on the early primary years. Parents looking for a school with a strong track record of maintaining standards rather than chasing outstanding status may find this reassuring.

Facilities are a real strength: Havannah offers an ICT suite, music rooms, a sensory room, a forest school area, an outdoor playground, a sports hall, and even a chapel, which is unusual for a non-denominational school. Sports include athletics, dance, swimming, and tennis, while clubs range from choir and book club to chess, film, gardening, and art. SEND provision is broad, covering social, emotional and mental health, speech and language, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties, so the school is equipped to support a range of needs. With oversubscription at nearly 3:1, families should apply early and list it as first preference to maximise their chance. This school suits families who value strong facilities, a less pressured intake, and a Good-rated environment that has held steady for years, particularly those who prefer a first-school model before moving on at age 9.

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