SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, South Shields

About SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, South Shields

SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School’s headline KS2 results sit well below the South Tyneside average, with 52% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined against a local authority average of 64%. That 12-point gap places the school 31st out of 37 primaries in the borough, firmly in the bottom half. On individual subjects, writing is the strongest area at 68% meeting the expected level, while reading and maths both sit at 61%. Higher-attaining pupils are scarce: just 3% achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, and only 10% did so in maths. The school’s average scaled scores are 103 in reading and 101 in maths, both below the national average. For parents comparing headline metrics, this school clearly faces an uphill battle relative to its neighbours, though the data does not include progress scores, so it is unclear how much value the school adds from pupils’ starting points.

Despite the below-average results, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024 confirmed it remains Good, a rating it has held since at least 2012. Inspectors rated leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all as Good, with no areas flagged as requiring improvement. The school serves a community with above-average disadvantage: 39.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Progress scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. However, the KS2 results do show that while the proportion reaching the expected standard is below the LA average, the school’s writing outcomes are notably stronger than its maths and reading ones. The school’s ranking score of 52 out of 100 places it in the bottom 50 nationally, but this is based on a single metric — the combined expected standard — and does not account for progress or context.

SS Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic primary with a nursery provision, taking children from age 4 to 11. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 49 applications for 30 places, with 32 first-preference applications and 30 offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.63, meaning the school is popular despite its middling results. Facilities include a chapel, sensory room, library, art studios, ICT suite, and playing fields. Sports on offer range from football and cricket to gymnastics and swimming, while clubs include drama, choir, science club, chess, and film club. The school has dedicated SEND provision for moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For Catholic families in South Shields who value a faith-based environment and a school that is well-resourced despite below-average headline results, this could be a strong local option — especially given its Good Ofsted rating and clear oversubscription.

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