St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Blaydon

About St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Blaydon

St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School in Blaydon received an Outstanding rating from Ofsted in its most recent inspection in October 2024, with every graded category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision — all judged Outstanding. That inspection was a section 8 visit, so no new overall effectiveness grade was issued, but the school’s previous graded inspection in 2007 also rated it Outstanding overall. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined: 90 per cent, compared with a Gateshead local authority average of 64 per cent. That figure places the school first out of 61 primary schools in Gateshead, and in the top five per cent nationally. In reading and maths individually, every pupil met the expected standard — 100 per cent in both subjects — and average scaled scores were 110 in reading and 108 in maths, both above the national benchmark of 100.

Beyond the headline figures, the school’s performance at the higher standard is also strong. In reading, 48 per cent of pupils achieved the higher standard, with 38 per cent doing so in both maths and writing. The combined reading, writing and maths higher standard sits at 14 per cent. These results come from the 2023/24 academic year and reflect a school that is comfortably outperforming its local peers. The nearest Outstanding-rated school in the area is Greenside Primary School, 3.9 km away, and St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas ranks above other strong local Catholic primaries such as St Philip Neri in Dunston and St Agnes’ in Crawcrook. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 100 per cent of the 34 respondents to the Parent View survey said they would recommend the school, and 74 per cent strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

The school is oversubscribed, with 74 applications for 30 places in the 2025/26 admissions round and 38 first-preference applications for those 30 spots — an oversubscription ratio of 2.47. It is a Roman Catholic primary for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. Facilities include a library, dining hall, art studios, gymnasium, sensory room, forest school and a chapel. The school offers a range of clubs including chess, choir, film club, drama and art club, and sports provision covers football, gymnastics, dance and cross country. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. With 241 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is operating above its official capacity, which reflects its popularity. This is a school for families who prioritise strong academic outcomes within a Catholic ethos, and who are comfortable with a competitive admissions process.

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