West Newcastle Academy

About West Newcastle Academy

West Newcastle Academy has a strong parent community, with 76% of respondents to the Ofsted Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. The survey, which ran between September 2024 and September 2025, drew 67 responses and shows high levels of satisfaction in several key areas. 91% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 88% felt their child is safe. The school is clearly popular locally, too: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 35 applications for just 11 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.18 to one. Ten of those applications were first-preference choices, and ten offers were made. The school is led by headteacher Benjamin Wassall and serves 200 pupils aged 3 to 11, which is slightly above its official capacity of 196. Nearly half of the pupils (49.5%) are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average, reflecting the school's role in its community.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024 judged it Good across all areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2019. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 52% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is below the local authority average of 63%, and places the school 45th out of 55 similar schools in Newcastle upon Tyne. However, individual subject scores are more mixed: 72% met the expected standard in maths, and 68% in writing, while reading was lower at 60%. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in all three subjects was just 4%. Average scaled scores in reading and maths were both 102, which is in line with the national average of 100.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, playing fields, an outdoor playground, a sensory room, and art studios. Sports on offer include netball, athletics, dance, rounders, and swimming, while clubs range from chess and art to eco club, choir, and science club. The school has a nursery provision and provides support for a wide range of special educational needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. 22% of parents who responded to the survey said their child has SEND, and 80% of those agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives them the support they need. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-regarded local primary with strong pastoral care and a clear sense of community, though those prioritising top-tier academic results may want to look at higher-performing schools in the area, such as St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Gosforth.

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