Belsay Primary School Review 2026: High-attaining village primary with a clear academic core

Small schools can sometimes feel limited; this one does not. With a capacity of 105 and a published admission number of 15 for Reception, Belsay Primary School is deliberately compact, which helps routines run smoothly and makes it easier for staff to know families well.

The academic picture is unusually strong for a rural primary. In 2024, 85.67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. The higher standard figure of 39.67% is also far above the England average of 8%. (These are FindMySchool outcomes drawn from official data.)

Leadership is structured to match the size and trust context. Mr Craig Shaw is Executive Headteacher, having taken up the headship in September 2023, and from September 2025 he began an executive head role across Belsay and Shilbottle, with Miss Demi Houghton appointed as Head of School for day-to-day leadership at Belsay.

Belsay is a true village school, and that matters. The setting naturally pulls in families from the parish and surrounding hamlets, so the social mix can feel tight-knit and multi-generational. That closeness shows up in practical ways: pupils across year groups mix regularly, and older children are expected to take responsibility for younger ones.

The physical environment also carries a sense of place. The school building is Grade II listed, with Historic England describing it as a school of around 1870 in a Gothic style, built in snecked stone with a Welsh slate roof. The listed status is not just trivia. In schools like this, space tends to be used cleverly rather than expansively. Families should expect a site that prioritises purposeful classrooms and outdoor learning areas over the large internal footprint you might see in newer, town-based primaries.

The values framework is prominent and specific rather than generic. Respect is positioned as the core value, supported by a small set of wider themes such as aiming high and working together, with a monthly focus value running alongside them. The practical implication is that behaviour expectations tend to be explicit and teachable. Pupils are given language for collaboration, routines, and respectful conduct, which is particularly helpful in mixed-age group settings.

There is also clear evidence of confidence and security in pupil experience. The latest inspection describes pupils thriving in a friendly and caring school, arriving enthusiastic and ready to learn, and feeling safe because staff help them with problems.

The headline is strong Key Stage 2 attainment.

In 2024:

• 85.67% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (England average 62%).

• 39.67% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (England average 8%).

• Average scaled scores were 112 in reading and 107 in maths.

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) scaled score was 112, with 88% reaching the expected standard.

These figures point to consistently secure basics, and they also suggest a meaningful proportion of pupils working beyond age-related expectations.

On the FindMySchool ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 404th in England for primary outcomes and 4th in Newcastle locally. This places it well above the England average and close to the top few percent nationally within England. (Rankings are FindMySchool’s proprietary calculations from official datasets.)

The most useful way to interpret this for families is not that every child will be a high attainer, but that the school appears to combine strong teaching of core knowledge with a culture that supports pupils to do their best. High attainment in a small setting often reflects careful curriculum sequencing and consistent classroom routines, because there is less redundancy in staffing and fewer parallel classes to buffer variation.

If you are comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools can help you view these outcomes side-by-side with other nearby primaries, using the same definitions and time period.

Teaching here is shaped by two distinctive features: curriculum intent and scale.

First, the curriculum has a clear narrative. Ofsted identifies a broad curriculum with a stated “global curriculum” that encourages pupils to discuss and debate local and worldwide issues. For parents, this usually translates into topic work that is deliberately connected to geography, history, reading and writing, rather than isolated projects that are exciting but thin on knowledge.

Reading sits at the centre. The inspection describes reading as at the heart of the curriculum, with pupils practising often and reading well across subjects. That matters because the strongest primary outcomes are typically built on sustained reading fluency, vocabulary development, and careful writing instruction across the week, not last-minute Year 6 intervention.

Second, the school’s small size makes mixed-age teaching part of the normal model. Staffing information shows combined classes such as Year 1 and Year 2 together, and Year 3 and Year 4 together. Mixed-age classes can be a genuine strength when done well. They encourage independence, allow younger pupils to learn routines quickly, and give older pupils leadership roles. The trade-off is that teaching must be carefully structured so that pupils are challenged appropriately within the same room. The attainment profile suggests that this structure is working academically.

For a primary school, the key question is transition. Most families will be thinking about Year 7 options well before Year 6, especially in a rural area where travel time can be a deciding factor.

Belsay Primary School is part of Pele Trust, which includes Ponteland High School, and the trust admissions policy explicitly lists Pele Trust primaries as feeder schools within the secondary oversubscription framework for Ponteland High. This does not mean progression is automatic, and secondary places are still allocated through the local authority process. However, it does show that the trust structure is designed to support continuity for families who want it.

Practically, families should plan for:

• Early information gathering in Year 5: open events, travel routes, and the likely peer group your child will move with.

• A structured Year 6 transition: curriculum continuity and pastoral readiness matter as much as the destination school name.

If you are considering secondary options that use catchment boundaries, it is sensible to check your exact home-to-school distance early. FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful for estimating practical proximity, but families should always rely on the local authority’s official measurement and criteria at application stage.

Admissions are straightforward in process but potentially competitive in reality, because places are limited.

Key points:

• Admissions authority: Pele Trust is the admissions authority, with Reception applications managed through the local authority route depending on where you live.

• Reception deadline for September 2026 entry: 15 January 2026.

• Published admission number (Reception): 15 for Belsay.

Oversubscription criteria are clearly set out. After looked-after children, priority includes children living in the school’s catchment area (as defined by the trust and shown on the local authority catchment maps), then exceptional medical or social need, siblings, children of staff (in specified circumstances), and finally distance, measured as a straight line from the child’s home to the main school gate.

Recent admissions data indicates the school is oversubscribed, with 2.5 applications per place in the data window and more first preference demand than offers. This is a reminder that, even in a small village setting, demand can outstrip supply.

Because the last offered distance is not published in the available dataset for this school, families should not make assumptions based on where neighbours live. Catchment boundaries and applicant distribution can change year to year.

Pastoral systems in a small primary work best when they are consistent and visible, and the inspection evidence supports that picture. Pupils are described as feeling safe and supported, and behaviour in lessons is described as calm and collaborative.

Safeguarding leadership is explicitly identified, with Mr Shaw and named staff acting as designated safeguarding leads. For parents, the practical implication is that there are clear points of responsibility, which is especially important when leadership is shared across schools in an executive model.

SEND support is also clearly signposted in staffing, with a named SENDCo within the teaching team. In a small primary, SEND provision often depends on strong classroom practice first, then targeted support. The inspection highlights high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND, which is a positive indicator of inclusive classroom routines.

For a small school, the extracurricular offer is unusually specific, with named clubs and external partners.

Examples from current club information include:

• Newcastle United Foundation multi-skills (Years 1 and 2)

• Fun Fitness (Years 3 to 6)

• British Sign Language Leaders Club (Years 3 to 6)

• Badminton (Years 4 to 6, paid sessions)

• Band practice (Years 3 to 6)

• Choir (Years 3 to 6)

This breadth matters because it gives pupils structured experiences beyond the core curriculum without needing a large cohort. A British Sign Language club, in particular, stands out as a purposeful leadership-style activity rather than a generic after-school add-on.

The inspection also identifies enriching opportunities that connect to wellbeing and wider development. Dance is referenced as being led by a trust primary PE specialist, and music tuition is described as popular, with pupils performing together in a band. It also notes an overseas visit for older pupils to Paris and St Omer as part of wider citizenship development.

The implication for families is that the school appears to prioritise cultural capital and experience, not just academic outcomes. For children who thrive with variety, this matters as much as test scores.

School day timings are clearly set out:

• Gates open 08:45, close 08:55

• Morning lessons begin 09:00

• Lunch 12:00

• Afternoon lessons begin 12:50

• Day ends 15:15

Wraparound care is available on the school site through Belsay Day Care, described as operating from 08:00 to 18:00 on most days, with holiday cover coordinated with local providers for summer weeks (availability-dependent).

For pricing and session structures, families should check directly with the provider, as wraparound and pre-school arrangements can change.

Transport and travel are typically a rural question here. Families should plan around car travel and local bus availability rather than expecting walkable town-style routes. In a village setting, parking and drop-off patterns can also be affected by narrow roads and seasonal visitor traffic to local attractions, so a trial run at peak times is worth doing.

• Very small intake. With a Reception intake of 15, cohorts are naturally small. This can be brilliant for individual attention, but it also means a narrower friendship pool and fewer same-age peers.

• Mixed-age classes are the norm. Staffing indicates combined year groups, which can work extremely well, but it suits children who are comfortable with independence and flexible groupings.

• Entry can be competitive. The school is listed as oversubscribed in recent admissions data, and the trust policy uses catchment and distance criteria when demand exceeds places. Families outside catchment should treat admission as uncertain.

• Leadership model is shared across schools. From September 2025, the executive head role spans Belsay and Shilbottle, with a Head of School in place for day-to-day leadership at Belsay. Many families like this model because it can improve capacity and expertise, but others prefer a single-school headship presence every day.

Belsay Primary School offers a rare combination: village-school intimacy with outcomes that compare strongly against England averages. The academic foundations look secure, reading is clearly prioritised, and enrichment is more distinctive than you might expect for a school of this size.

Best suited to families who want a small, structured primary with high expectations and a close-knit feel, and who are comfortable with mixed-age classes and the trust-led leadership model. The main challenge is admissions, because a small intake leaves little flexibility when demand rises.