NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School

School overview

NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School is a primary school serving Newbiggin-By-the-Sea, Northumberland, classified by the DfE as a converter academy with a Church of England religious character. It has 412 pupils aged 2 to 11 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School 'Good'. 24% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2, well below the national average (national figure: 61%). The proportion reaching the expected standard has fallen by 14.0 percentage points compared with the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 98 in reading and 98 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 2% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School is oversubscribed: about 10 in 10 of the families who made it their first choice were offered a Reception place for September 2026, with 36 first choices for 35 places. Overall pupil absence was 9.1%. There are about 18.8 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 48% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When you visit, you might ask how the school stretches its higher-attaining pupils and supports those who need to catch up. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.