Northern Saints Church of England Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 January 2026

Northern Saints Church of England Academy is a school where all are welcome. The school's ethos is strongly shaped by the belief that ‘everyone is different, but everyone is equal’. Leaders are sensitive to pupils' different needs from the moment they arrive at the beginning of each day. This includes the carefully chosen activities provided at the school's breakfast club. Pupils’ experiences are broadened by a deliberately planned curriculum and enriched by a curated programme of educational visits and visitors into school. The theme of the Northern Saints is woven throughout the curriculum and pupils enjoy visiting their birthplaces, including trips to Bamburgh and Lindisfarne. An extensive offer of after-school clubs has been adapted over time because of pupils’ preferences. These include darts, science and drama. By the end of Year 6, most pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. This is reflected in pupils' outcomes in national tests. However, further work is needed to improve outcomes in phonics to ensure that more pupils have the knowledge they need to be successful learners. In Reception, children are immersed in a range of engaging books. They enjoy using drawing to develop their reading and writing. On entry to Reception, children's needs are identified with precision. Support is put in place to help them keep up. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged thrive because of a variety of tailored approaches. These include specialist rooms and spaces created to help meet their varied needs. Pupils’ behaviour is consistently positive during lessons and at social times. They say that this is a kind school where bullying rarely happens. Pupils feel well supported by the caring staff. Leaders ensure that pupils' wellbeing is a priority and provide a range of support to promote positive mental health. Most pupils attend well, feel safe and understand the importance of tolerance, respect and equality.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure they support teachers to use assessment more effectively to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and strengthen their learning. • Leaders should further embed recently introduced strategies so that the gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, for example in phonics and handwriting, are closed quickly. • Leaders should ensure that learning activities in the early years are sufficiently challenging, enabling children to accelerate their learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)