Middle deemed secondary · Foundation school · Whitley Bay, NE25 9AQ
Key stage 2 2024/25
#4,292 of 15,057
Better than 71% of schools in England
Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 19 Nov 2024
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 108636.
Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.
| Measure | This school | North Tyneside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 72%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 63% | 63% |
| Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing. | 15%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 8% | 8% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 109, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 106 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 107, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 105 | 105 |
| Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 107, better than England, similar to North Tyneside | 106 | 105 |
| Expected standard in reading | 90%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 78% | 76% |
| Expected standard in writing | 77%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 73% | 73% |
| Expected standard in maths | 85%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 75% | 75% |
| Pupils taking tests | 192 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 768 |
| Girls | 397 |
| Boys | 371 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 6% |
| First language not English | 2.2% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 720 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 0% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 86 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 15 |
| Average class size | 28.4 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 21.1 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 13.9 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 36.42 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 17.21 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 27.21 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 39.2 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 35.2 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 0.6 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 3.4 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | North Tyneside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 4.2%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 7.9% | 8% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 8.3%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 20.3% | 21.6% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 1%, better than England, better than North Tyneside | 3.2% | 3.6% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 6.2% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 1.4% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0.3% |
| Permanent exclusions | 2 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 mi | Secondary | Whitley Bay High School | Foundation school | Outstanding Ofsted rating. Inspected 4 Jun 2024. | |
| 0.2 mi | Primary | Southridge First School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 12 Jul 2022. | |
| 0.6 mi | Middle deemed secondary | Monkseaton Coastal School | Foundation school | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 10 Jun 2026. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | Whitley Lodge First School | Community school | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 12 May 2026. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | Coquet Park First School | Community school | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 1 Apr 2025. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | Appletree Gardens First School | Foundation school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 13 Nov 2013. | |
| 0.8 mi | Primary | Langley First School | Community school | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 12 May 2026. | |
| 0.8 mi | Primary | Marine Park First School | Community school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 31 Mar 2026. | |
| 0.9 mi | Primary | South Wellfield First School | Community school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 8 Oct 2024. | |
| 0.9 mi | Middle deemed secondary | Wellfield Middle School | Foundation school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 6 Feb 2019. |
Valley Gardens Middle School is rated Outstanding, last inspected on 19 Nov 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.
Valley Gardens Middle School ranks 4,292 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 71% of schools).
In 2024/25, 72% of pupils at Valley Gardens Middle School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).
Valley Gardens Middle School has 768 pupils aged 9 to 13.
Valley Gardens Middle School had 720 school places in 2024/25.
At Valley Gardens Middle School, the average class had 28.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.1 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Valley Gardens Middle School missed 4.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 8.3% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.