Schools in Heaton: A Parent's Guide

Choosing a school is one of the biggest decisions a family makes, and it can feel bewildering when you have just moved to the area. This guide explains how schooling works in Heaton and High Heaton, which schools serve the neighbourhood, and how to apply. For a quick overview and useful links, see our education page; if you are looking for extra academic support, our list of local tutors covers east Newcastle too.

How schooling works in Newcastle

Heaton and High Heaton sit within Newcastle upon Tyne, which uses the standard English two-tier school system. Children attend a primary school from Reception (age 4) to Year 6 (age 11), then move on to a secondary school from Year 7 (age 11) to Year 11 (age 16), with sixth-form options for ages 16 to 18.

This is worth stressing, because parts of neighbouring Northumberland use a three-tier system of first, middle and high schools. If you have moved from Morpeth, Alnwick or Ponteland, the structure here is different: it is primary, then secondary, with no middle school in between.

Best for:

Newcastle is two-tier: one primary school (ages 4–11), then one secondary (ages 11–16, with sixth form to 18). There are no first or middle schools in Heaton.

Primary schools in Heaton

Heaton and High Heaton are well served by community and church primary schools within walking distance of most streets. The main ones include:

• Chillingham Road Primary School — a large community primary just off Chillingham Road in the heart of Heaton (Ninth Avenue, NE6 5XX). Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, judged quality of education, behaviour, leadership and early years as Good, and personal development as Outstanding.
• Hotspur Primary School — a community primary on Mowbray Street in central Heaton (NE6 5PA).
• Cragside Primary School — a community primary in High Heaton (NE7 7EL) which received Outstanding grades across all areas at its March 2025 inspection.
• Ravenswood Primary School — a community primary on Ravenswood Road, serving central and High Heaton (NE6 5TU).
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School — a Roman Catholic voluntary-aided primary in Heaton (NE6), rated Outstanding at its 2023 inspection. Faith schools like this one usually give priority to families of the relevant faith, so check the admissions criteria carefully.

Ofsted has changed how it reports since September 2024: it no longer gives a single overall effectiveness grade for state schools, publishing judgements on individual areas instead. For any school below, always check the latest Ofsted report and the school's own website for the most current picture rather than relying on an older headline rating.

Secondary schools

The main secondary serving Heaton and High Heaton is Jesmond Park Academy (Jesmond Park West, NE7 7DP). It was formerly known as Heaton Manor School and was renamed in 2019 when it joined the Gosforth Federated Academies Trust; the two names refer to the same school, which can cause confusion for parents new to the area. It is a large, co-educational comprehensive taking pupils from Year 7, with its own sixth form for ages 16 to 18. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2022, was judged Good.

Because Heaton sits close to Jesmond and Gosforth, some families also look at secondaries just beyond the immediate area, including Gosforth Academy and the schools of central Newcastle. Admission to any of these depends on catchment and available places, so it is worth mapping your address against each school's catchment before you set your heart on one.

Admissions and catchment

Newcastle City Council runs coordinated admissions for all state schools in Heaton, including church schools. You apply through the council rather than to each school directly:

• Primary places — apply in the autumn before your child starts, with a national closing date in mid-January and offers issued in April.
• Secondary places — apply in the autumn of Year 6, with a closing date in late October and offers issued the following March (national offer day).

Each school has its own oversubscription criteria, which typically prioritise looked-after children, siblings already at the school, and distance from home. Living within a school's catchment area does not guarantee a place at a popular school, so it is sensible to list more than one preference. The council's school admissions pages set out the exact dates, catchment maps and how to apply online each year.

Choosing a school

Ratings and results matter, but they are only part of the picture. The best way to judge a school is to visit:

• Go to open days and open evenings. They usually run in the autumn term for the following September's intake.
• Read the latest Ofsted report at reports.ofsted.gov.uk, and compare performance data on GOV.UK's find and compare schools service.
• Think about the journey. A shorter, safer walk to school can matter as much as league tables, especially for younger children.
• Talk to other parents. Local Facebook groups and the school gates are a good source of honest, current impressions.

For a summary of the local schools, admissions links and Ofsted resources all in one place, see our education page. And if your child would benefit from one-to-one help — whether that is early reading, SATs, or GCSE revision — our directory of local tutors can point you towards support close to home.