Simonside Primary School
About Simonside Primary School
Simonside Primary School is a popular choice among local families, with 32 of 33 places offered to first-preference applicants in the 2025/26 admissions round and a total of 52 applications for those spots, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.58. That level of demand suggests parents who know the school well are keen to secure a place. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in January 2020, confirmed it remains Good, building on its previous graded Good rating from April 2016. Before that, the school had been rated Requires Improvement in 2014, so the trajectory has been positive. With 297 pupils on roll against a capacity of 315, the school is running close to full, and its nursery provision means children can join from age three. The headteacher, Emma Hills, leads a school where 66.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, reflecting the community it serves.
Key Details
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
23 Jan 2020Latest monitoring visit (23 Jan 2020): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 2 Jun 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: simonside.newcastle.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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