St Mark's Catholic Primary School, Westerhope
About St Mark's Catholic Primary School, Westerhope
St Mark’s Catholic Primary School in Westerhope is a state-funded mixed primary for ages 3 to 11, and it is currently running above its official capacity. With 224 pupils on roll against a capacity of 216, the school is clearly in demand locally. That demand is backed up by the admissions data for the 2025/26 intake: 30 places attracted 58 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.93, and 35 of those applications were first-preference choices. The school’s intake also reflects a significant level of disadvantage — 37.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average for primary schools (typically around 23-24%). This suggests St Mark’s serves a community with higher-than-average economic need, and the school’s Catholic character may be a draw for families seeking a faith-based education in the Newcastle upon Tyne area. The nursery provision means children can join from age 3, which may help with early integration into the school community.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Feb 2024Latest monitoring visit (29 Feb 2024): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 20 Sept 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
5Facilities 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: stmcps.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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