When should a child begin to train, and why the old fear was wrong
Most parents think lifting weights is dangerous for children. Twenty years of paediatric consensus disagree, and the reason has more to do with the nervous system than with muscle.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne · Newcastle upon Tyne
Academy sponsor led · ages 3–11 · 801 pupils
Part of THE LAIDLAW SCHOOLS TRUST
Year 6 results
Share of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 2024/25.
| Year | School | Newcastle upon Tyne | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 51% | 62% | 60% |
| 2023/24 | 54% | 63% | 61% |
| 2024/25 | 54% | 66% | 63% |
| 3-year average | 53% |
101 pupils took the tests in 2025.
Average scaled scores in 2025: reading 103, maths 104 (100 is the expected standard). Higher standard in reading, writing and maths: 4%.
There are no results for 2019/20 or 2020/21, when the tests were cancelled. What do SATs scores mean?
Inspection
Report card published 16/06/2026. Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale, from urgent improvement to exceptional.
| Inclusion | Exceptional |
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Strong standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Strong standard |
| Early years | Strong standard |
| Leadership and governance | Strong standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
The local area
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | England |
|---|---|---|
| Good level of development at the end of Reception 2024/25 lower | 66.4% | 68.3% |
| Phonics check met in Year 1 2024/25 lower | 75.9% | 79.8% |
| Year 6 children living with obesity 2024/25 higher | 24.5% | 22.2% |
| MMR two doses by age 5 2024/25 similar | 84.3% | 83.7% |
| Primary pupils persistently absent 2024/25 higher | 14.4% | 13.0% |
| Children in relative low-income families (under 16) 2024/25 higher | 26.7% | 19.8% |
“Higher” or “lower” means the difference from England is bigger than the margin of error; “similar” means it isn’t. These are figures for all children in the council area, not for any one school or child.