Newker Primary School
Community primary school in Chester le Street (County Durham).
KS2 RWM expected
69%
▲ 7pp England 2024/25: 62%
2024/25
Reading expected
83%
▲ 8pp England 2024/25: 75%
2024/25
Maths expected
78%
▲ 4pp England 2024/25: 74%
2024/25
Writing expected
78%
▲ 6pp England 2024/25: 72%
2024/25
Attendance rate
94.6%
▼ 0.2pp England 2024/25: 94.8%
2024/25 academic year
Pupil : Teacher
22.5
▲ 1.8 England 2025/26: 20.7
2025/26
Eligible for free school meals
29.1%
▲ 4pp England 2025/26: 24.9%
school census 15/01/2026
Capacity
81%
340 / 420 pupils
register figure (GIAS)
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
iWritten by WhatSchool from official school data (Get Information about Schools, DfE and Ofsted).Newker Primary School is a primary school located in Chester le Street, County Durham. The school caters for boys and girls aged 3 to 11 and currently has 378 pupils on roll, with a capacity of 520. The school is led by Mrs Melanie Kirkland.
Enrichment
8 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Athletics
- Cricket
- Football
- Multisports
- Netball
- Rugby
- OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning)
- Forest School
Awards
2 awardsiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- UNICEF Rights Respecting SchoolsChildren's rights
- Eco SchoolsEnvironment
Key facts
- URN
- 131233
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Constituency
- North Durham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1998
Governing body (11 current, 1 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Craig Singleton | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2021 · until 2028 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Marie Todd | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Christina Wood | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Miss Nichola Stones | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Victoria Barrett | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Andrew Bell | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Mathew Carline | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Neil Bell | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Simon Sheard | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Neil Parkinson | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Headteacher Melanie Kirkland | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2018 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Louise Dunn Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record