Malvin's Close Academy

About Malvin's Close Academy

Malvin's Close Academy is a popular choice among local families, with 53 first-preference applications for 53 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, meaning every family who put it first got a spot. The school was oversubscribed overall, receiving 78 applications for those 53 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.47. That kind of demand suggests parents are voting with their feet. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023 rated it Outstanding across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a remarkable turnaround from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2016. With 440 pupils on roll, very close to its capacity of 450, the school is clearly a fixture in the local community. It also offers nursery provision for children from age 3, which can be a big practical help for working parents.

Academically, the picture is more mixed than the Outstanding Ofsted rating might suggest. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 55% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just below the Northumberland local authority average of 56%. The school ranks 29th out of 58 primary schools in the county on this measure, placing it in the bottom half nationally. However, average scores in reading and maths both sit at 103, which is above the national benchmark of 100. The proportion of pupils hitting the higher standard in reading and maths is 19% each, though only 6% achieve it in writing. It's worth noting that 40.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average, so the school is working with a cohort that faces greater challenges than many.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a forest school, library, ICT suite, gymnasium and playing fields, plus clubs like eco club, drama, choir, chess, coding and art club. Sports provision covers swimming, rounders, cross country, gymnastics, cricket and athletics. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, and physical disabilities. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Morpeth Road Academy, just 0.7 km away, so parents in the area do have another strong option nearby. Malvin's Close is best suited to families who value a school that has shown clear improvement and strong leadership, and who are comfortable with a cohort that reflects a wide range of backgrounds.

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