NCEA Bishop's Primary School

About NCEA Bishop's Primary School

NCEA Bishop's Primary School sits in a tricky spot when you compare its headline Key Stage 2 results against the Northumberland average for primary schools. Just 48% of its pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is eight percentage points below the local authority average of 56%. That gap is worth paying attention to, especially given the school serves a community where 39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — well above the national average. In the Northumberland rankings, the school places 37th out of 58 primaries, putting it in the bottom half of the local league table. Nationally, it sits in the 82nd percentile, which means roughly four in five schools across England outperform it on this particular measure. The picture isn't uniformly weak, though. In reading, 72% of pupils met the expected standard and 21% reached the higher bar, while in maths 67% hit the expected level and 10% achieved greater depth. The school's average scaled scores — 103 in reading and 102 in maths — are both in line with the national average of 100, suggesting the headline combined figure is being pulled down by writing, where only 62% met expectations and just 7% reached the higher standard.

Ofsted visited in October 2022 and rated the school Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all scored a 2. The inspection report, published in December 2022, noted no previous rating, so this was a first graded inspection under the current framework. The school's Progress 8 scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds beyond raw attainment. What we can see is that the school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 64 applications for 43 places, with 34 first-preference offers made. That's a ratio of 1.49 applicants per place, which suggests local families are keen to get in despite the middling headline results. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Bothal Primary School, 2.6 kilometres away, which may be a consideration for parents weighing up alternatives.

The school offers a decent range of facilities including a library, art studios, playing fields, a forest school and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports provision covers gymnastics, cross country, rounders, athletics, dance and swimming, while clubs include art, coding and drama. 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, and speech, language and communication needs. There is nursery provision for children from age two, and the school runs up to Year 6. With 451 pupils on roll against a capacity of 510, there is a little headroom, though the oversubscription figures suggest demand is strong. This is a school that might suit families who value its inclusive, Church of England ethos and broad extracurricular offer, and who are comfortable with results that sit below the local average — particularly if their child needs extra support in writing. The forest school and chapel add a distinctive character that sets it apart from purely academic-focused primaries in the area.

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