St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Kenton

About St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Kenton

St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School in Kenton is a state primary for children aged 3 to 11, and it's a school that local families clearly want to get into. With 223 pupils on roll against a capacity of 229, it's running very close to full, and the demand is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 64 applications for just 30 places, with 31 of those applications coming as first preferences. That works out at more than two applicants for every spot. The school's intake reflects a diverse mix of backgrounds, with 33.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals – a figure notably higher than the national average for primary schools, which sits around 23-24%. As a Roman Catholic school, it will prioritise faith-based admissions, but the oversubscription ratio of 2.13 suggests that even within that criteria, places are competitive.

Academically, St Cuthbert's performs solidly above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the Newcastle upon Tyne average of 63%. Reading is a particular strength: every single pupil (100%) met the expected standard, and 37% achieved a higher score. In maths, 77% hit the expected level and 23% reached the higher threshold. The school's average scaled scores of 108 in reading and 105 in maths are both above the national benchmark of 100. This performance places St Cuthbert's 19th out of 55 primary schools in the local authority, putting it in the top 35% in Newcastle. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in February 2025, found that the school had improved significantly since its previous graded inspection, and while the overall effectiveness remains Good, leadership and management were judged to be Outstanding.

The school offers a strong set of facilities for a primary, including a Forest School area, a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite, a library, a sensory room and a chapel. There's a good range of clubs on offer – book club, gardening, choir and art club – and sports include cricket, rounders, football and cross country. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language issues, visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: in the most recent Parent View survey, 100% of respondents would recommend the school, and every single parent strongly agreed that their child is happy, feels safe and that behaviour is well managed. This is a school that suits families who value a strong Catholic ethos, solid academic outcomes and a genuinely supportive community feel, particularly those living within the Kenton area of Newcastle.

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