NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School

About NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School

NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School sits in a middle position within Northumberland, with 57% of its pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2. That is just one percentage point above the local authority average of 56%, placing the school 24th out of 127 primary schools in the county. It ranks in the bottom half nationally, at the 63rd percentile, but within Northumberland it sits comfortably in the middle tier — not among the top performers like Eastlea or Belsay, but a solidly average option for the area. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 29 places in 2025/26, it received 58 applications, with 35 first-preference choices and 28 offers made to first-preference families. That level of demand suggests local parents see value here, even if the headline metrics don't set the world alight.

Digging into the KS2 results, the picture is mixed. Reading and maths average scores are 104 and 102 respectively, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100, and 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, with 33% achieving a higher standard — a strong showing. Writing and maths expected rates are 70% and 77%, but only 3% of pupils hit the higher standard across all three subjects. The school's Ofsted inspection in May 2024 rated it Good across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all scored 2. That consistency is reassuring, especially given that 54.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school is clearly serving a community with significant disadvantage, and its results, while not outstanding, are respectable in that context.

The school offers a nursery provision for children from age two, and its facilities include a library, playing fields, an outdoor playground, a forest school and a chapel. Sports on offer range from cricket and football to gymnastics, swimming, athletics and dance, and there are clubs for art, choir and science. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families in Northumberland looking for a Church of England primary that is popular locally and delivers solid, if not spectacular, results, Thomas Bewick is a practical choice. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Bothal Primary School, 2.2 km away, but with a Good rating and strong demand, this school holds its own.

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