Lingey House Primary School Review 2026: A play-first culture with strong outcomes, and a clear next step for writing

There is a particular confidence to this school’s day-to-day rhythm, the kind that comes from staff who know their pupils well and routines that rarely wobble. That sense of steadiness is paired with a genuinely child-centred stance on development, especially in the early years, where independence, language and play are treated as foundations rather than add-ons.

The February 2024 Ofsted inspection graded the school Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for Behaviour and Attitudes and Personal Development.

Academically, the published end of Key Stage 2 picture is strong. In 2024, 79% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 26.67% reached greater depth, well above the England average of 8%.

For families, the practical message is straightforward. This is a popular school, with 102 Reception applications for 58 offers in the most recently available admissions year, so planning matters.

A strong primary does not always feel formal, and Lingey House is a good example of that. The school places deliberate weight on relationships and belonging, and it shows up in how leadership is presented and how provision is organised. Mrs Chloe Wilkinson has been headteacher since January 2021, and the leadership team foregrounds inclusion, mental health, and play as part of the school’s core priorities rather than as separate initiatives.

The school’s emphasis on play is not rhetorical. Outdoor play and learning is treated as a central part of pupils’ development, with structured work around play quality and supervision. The OPAL programme is positioned as a whole-school approach, not a lunchtime tweak, and the school reports achieving OPAL Platinum recognition in 2023.

Early years provision sits naturally inside that wider culture. Nursery routines are built around a soft start, self-registration and key-worker contact, which is a practical way to build independence while keeping adults closely connected to each child’s needs.

One useful detail for parents of children with additional needs is how explicitly the school talks about inclusive practice. External review notes effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, alongside a high-expectations stance for all. That combination often matters more than any single intervention, because it sets the tone for classroom life and behaviour management.

For a state primary, the cleanest way to understand outcomes is to look at end of Key Stage 2 results and then check how far above or below England benchmarks the school tends to sit.

In 2024

• 79.33% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (England average 62%).

• 26.67% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined (England average 8%).

• Average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 106 in maths (scaled scores are standardised, and England averages typically sit close to 100).

The school’s internal profile also suggests breadth. 90% met the expected standard in science, and 82.8% met the combined expected standard across reading, writing, maths, grammar, punctuation, spelling and science.

In the FindMySchool rankings based on official data, the school is ranked 2,875th in England and 10th in Gateshead for primary outcomes. That places it comfortably within the top quarter of schools in England, which is a reliable signal of consistent attainment rather than a one-off cohort effect.

A final nuance worth knowing comes from the latest external evaluation. Writing is a current development priority, specifically around sustained writing and the embedding of refinements to the writing curriculum. For parents, that is often reassuring rather than concerning, because it points to a specific improvement focus rather than a vague “raise standards” message.

Parents comparing local primaries can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to line up results side-by-side, rather than trying to interpret individual metrics in isolation.

The best evidence for what teaching feels like is usually found in how the curriculum is structured and how pupils are supported to remember and apply learning. Here, curriculum planning is described as clearly sequenced from early years through to Year 6, with teachers routinely checking prior knowledge and addressing misconceptions quickly.

Reading is treated as a high-priority foundational skill. Early phonics is reinforced through routine checking and targeted support when pupils struggle, and older pupils are exposed to more demanding texts with a focus on fluency and comprehension.

The current “next step” sits most clearly in writing. The development need is not positioned as basic standards, but as the depth and frequency of extended writing, plus the strength of composition and editing. In practical terms, parents should expect a school that already performs strongly overall, while also being honest about what it wants to tighten next.

For younger pupils, the nursery and Reception structure is deliberately built around routines and independence. Soft-start approaches, self-registering, and predictable group times are small details that often make a big difference to confidence, language and behaviour, especially for children entering nursery at three.

As a primary, the key transition is Year 6 to Year 7. The school’s calendar history indicates organised transition activity with local secondary partners. For example, school communications reference Year 6 transition visits to Heworth Grange and Cardinal Hume.

For parents, the implication is that transition is treated as a process rather than a single day. Expect preparation that includes visits and structured support for the practical and emotional shift into secondary routines.

Because secondary admissions are coordinated separately, families should still treat Year 6 as the time to map options early, check criteria, and attend secondary open events where possible.

Reception entry is coordinated by Gateshead local authority

The school’s admissions page signposts families to the September 2026 primary admissions information through the council.

For the 2026 entry timetable in Gateshead’s coordinated primary scheme:

• Common Application Form available from Monday 8 September 2025

• On-time application deadline Thursday 15 January 2026

• Offers allocated on 16 April 2026

Demand is a key part of the story. The most recent intake data shows 102 applications for 58 offers for the primary entry route, indicating meaningful competition for places. With no published last-distance figure for this school, families should avoid relying on anecdotal boundaries and instead check the council’s admissions guidance for criteria and priority order.

A practical tip if you are shortlisting multiple Gateshead primaries is to use a distance tool like FindMySchoolMap Search to understand how your address compares across options, then cross-check this with the local authority’s published criteria each year.

Nursery entry is handled differently. The nursery policy sets out how free nursery entitlement is offered and the session patterns available, and places are subject to availability.

For nursery fee details and any optional paid extensions, families should refer to the school’s nursery admissions information directly.

The pastoral picture is closely tied to behaviour and the school’s philosophy on play and belonging. Behaviour is described in official reporting as exemplary, which typically reflects consistency rather than strictness for its own sake.

Leadership roles also signal what the school values. Staff bios explicitly reference designated safeguarding responsibilities, plus senior roles linked to mental health and outdoor play. That matters because it suggests wellbeing is built into systems and accountability, not left to informal “nice staff” goodwill.

The report also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

For families of children with additional needs, the school positions itself as inclusive, with evidence of effective in-class support and collaboration with external professionals when required.

The extracurricular offer reads as purposeful and varied, and it is not restricted to sport. The school publishes a rolling list of clubs across terms, which gives a more realistic sense of what children can actually do week-to-week.

Examples from current and recent club lists include:

• Coding (Year 6)

• Sewing (Year 4)

• Choir (Years 3 to 6)

• Mindfulness or Mindfulness and Yoga (Years 1 and 5)

• Street Dance (Year 4)

• Puppet Workshop (Year 5)

• Football, Futsal, Basketball and sports clubs (various year groups, including delivery supported by NUFC)

The “why it matters” piece is the link to confidence, belonging and self-regulation. A child who is not motivated by formal classroom learning often finds their place in coding, choir, or a movement-based club first, and that can improve attendance, relationships and classroom engagement later.

Outdoor play is also positioned as a development strand in its own right. The OPAL model described by the school references different play zones such as den building, a forest area including mud kitchens, and a multi-use games area, plus staff training around playwork and risk assessment.

School day: doors open at 8:45am, registration is at 8:55am, and the school day ends at 3:15pm for Reception to Year 6.

Nursery sessions are offered in morning and afternoon blocks, with a full-day pattern for children accessing extended entitlement, and timings are published on the school site.

Wraparound care: on-site wraparound provision is delivered through Lamesley. Breakfast club runs 7:30am to 8:55am and after-school club runs 3:15pm to 5:50pm, with holiday provision also available via the same provider.

Term dates: the school publishes term dates for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, which is helpful for planning childcare and work calendars.

• Competition for places. The most recent Reception admissions data shows 102 applications for 58 offers, so having a realistic plan matters, especially if you are relying on a narrow set of options.

• Writing is the key development lever. Results are strong overall, but the most recent external evaluation flags the need to embed refinements to writing and increase sustained writing opportunities. If writing confidence is a particular concern for your child, ask how support and practice are structured across Key Stage 2.

• Play-led culture is a positive, but it is a choice. OPAL-style approaches can be brilliant for independence and resilience, but some families prefer a more formal playtime structure. It is worth understanding how outdoor play is supervised, how risk is managed, and how children who struggle with unstructured social time are supported.

• Wraparound is delivered by a partner provider. The hours are clear and convenient, but parents should check booking processes, collection arrangements, and how the handover works for children attending school clubs before after-school care.

Lingey House Primary School suits families who want a confident, inclusive primary with strong outcomes, excellent behaviour standards, and a child-development approach that takes play and wellbeing seriously. The school’s competitive admissions profile means securing entry is the main practical hurdle. For children who thrive with clear routines, plentiful enrichment, and a school that actively builds independence from nursery onwards, this is a compelling option.