Jarrow Cross CofE Primary School

About Jarrow Cross CofE Primary School

Jarrow Cross CofE Primary School sits within the South Tyneside local authority, a Church of England state primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11. In the most recent local rankings of primary schools, it placed 22nd out of 37, putting it in the bottom half of the authority. The top-performing peers in the area include Biddick Hall Junior School, Cleadon Church of England Academy, and Forest View Primary, all of which scored notably higher on the same ranking metric. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is St Aloysius Catholic Junior School Academy, about 1.9 kilometres away. Jarrow Cross itself holds a Good rating from its most recent inspection in October 2024, a grade it has maintained consistently across both its graded inspections. The school is led by headteacher Kevin Taggart and serves 293 pupils, operating slightly below its capacity of 315. Just over 39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average and reflective of the local demographic.

Academically, Jarrow Cross performs around the middle of the pack. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just below the South Tyneside local authority average of 64%. The school's ranking score of 62 places it in the bottom 50% nationally, at the 52nd percentile. Looking at individual subjects, 80% met the expected standard in reading, 82% in maths, and 69% in writing. Higher attainment levels were more modest: 9% achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, with 36% reaching that level in reading, 24% in maths, and 11% in writing. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 106 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. Progress measures for reading, writing and maths were not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, library, ICT suite, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, and a chapel. Sports on offer include athletics, swimming, cricket and gymnastics, while clubs cover coding, choir, science and book club. SEND provision is well-documented, with support available for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, social and emotional mental health, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school is oversubscribed: 41 applications for 24 places, with all 24 first-preference applicants receiving an offer. Parent views are overwhelmingly positive: 93% would recommend the school, and 100% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that their child is happy there. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-regarded Church of England primary with strong pastoral care and a broad range of activities, set in a community with above-average levels of disadvantage.

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