St Aidan's Church of England Primary School

About St Aidan's Church of England Primary School

St Aidan's Church of England Primary School in Gateshead is currently educating 225 pupils, which is 17 over its stated capacity of 208. This oversubscription is reflected in its admissions data for the 2025/26 intake: the school received 44 applications for 23 places, with exactly 23 of those coming as first preferences, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.91 applicants per place. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage — 44.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average for primary schools. This context makes the school’s popularity among local families particularly striking; despite the high FSM rate, demand significantly outstrips supply. The school is a Church of England state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 3 to 11, with a nursery provision on site. Cheryl Lain is the headteacher, and the school operates within the Gateshead local authority in the North East region.

Academically, St Aidan’s was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a downgrade from the Outstanding rating it received in its previous inspection in 2007. The 2022 report awarded Good across all five graded categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The early years provision was previously rated Outstanding but is now Good. While the school’s specific Key Stage 2 SATs results are not published in this data, the local authority average for KS2 attainment across Gateshead primary schools is 64%, which provides a useful benchmark. St Aidan’s sits among strong local peers — the top-ranked school in the area, St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, scores 90 on the ranking metric, followed by Clover Hill Community Primary at 88 and St Philip Neri Catholic Primary at 86. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Brighton Avenue Primary School, just half a kilometre away.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including art studios, a dining hall, a forest school, an outdoor playground, music rooms, and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, gymnastics, cross country, rounders, cricket, netball, and tennis, while extracurricular clubs include coding, drama, art club, and book club. For pupils with additional needs, St Aidan’s has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. Given its oversubscribed status and high FSM rate, this is a school that clearly serves a diverse local community and is in strong demand. It will particularly suit families seeking a Church of England primary with a strong sense of community, a wide range of enrichment activities, and a track record of Good provision, though those considering it should be prepared for competitive admissions.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Aidan's Church of England Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents