Thomas Walling Primary Academy

About Thomas Walling Primary Academy

Thomas Walling Primary Academy is a state primary school in Newcastle upon Tyne that currently educates 417 pupils against a capacity of 488, meaning it has some room to grow but is clearly in demand. The school's intake reflects a significantly higher-than-average level of disadvantage, with 64.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 23%. This context makes the school's performance particularly noteworthy. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed: it received 43 applications for 35 places, with 27 of those coming as first preferences. That oversubscription ratio of 1.23 suggests a solid local reputation, especially given the high proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school is led by headteacher Rebecca Hann and has no religious character. It offers nursery provision for children aged two and above, and its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in January 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained at Good.

Academically, Thomas Walling performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Newcastle upon Tyne average of 63%. This places the school 11th out of 55 primary schools in the local authority, putting it in the top 20% of its LA peers. Nationally, it ranks in the top 25% of all primaries. The school's average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 103 in maths, both above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 11% of pupils achieved in all three subjects. The school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2021, awarded Good across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a notable turnaround from the previous graded inspection in January 2019, when the school was rated Inadequate overall.

The school offers a strong range of facilities including a library, playing fields, a forest school, a sensory room, a sports hall and art studios. Sports provision includes football, rounders, dance, cross country and athletics, while clubs extend to science, drama, eco club, choir and art club. SEND support is a clear strength: the school has provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from a recent survey period show 88% of respondents would recommend the school, and 90% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. The school is oversubscribed, so families considering it should be prepared to apply early and list it as a first preference. It suits families who value strong academic progress in a diverse, inclusive setting with a broad extracurricular offer, particularly those with children who may benefit from the school's well-developed SEND support.

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