SAT Results
Outcomes & Performance
Every Child. Every Stage. Every Opportunity.
At Ponteland Community Primary School, we believe that outcomes are an important measure of our effectiveness, but they are not the only measure.
Published data provides valuable information about attainment, while our internal assessment, children’s work, professional dialogue and knowledge of individual pupils give us a much richer understanding of the progress children make throughout their time with us.
Our vision of Life in Abundance means providing every child with an exceptional education alongside an abundance of opportunities. We want children to leave PCPS not only with secure knowledge and strong academic foundations, but with the confidence, resilience, curiosity, character and ambition to flourish in the next stage of their education and throughout their lives.
Success is measured not simply by percentages, but by the confidence, knowledge and aspirations children develop throughout their journey with us.
You can find out more about the education we provide on our Curriculum page and about the principles that guide our school on our Ethos & Vision page.
Our 2026 Outcomes at a Glance
We are proud of the achievements of children across PCPS in 2026.
Early Years Foundation Stage
80%
of children achieved a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of Reception.
Year 1 Phonics
Approximately 73%
of Year 1 children achieved the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check.
100%
of Year 2 children who resat the Phonics Screening Check achieved the expected standard.
Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check
24.2 out of 25
was the average score achieved by our Year 4 children in the Multiplication Tables Check.
Key Stage 2 – 2026
| Subject | Expected Standard | Higher Standard / Greater Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 82% | 36% |
| Writing – Teacher Assessment | 78% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 74% | 43% |
| Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling | 68% | 18% |
For Reading, Mathematics and Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling, the second measure represents pupils achieving the Higher Standard.
For Writing, which is assessed through teacher assessment rather than a statutory test, the second measure represents pupils working at Greater Depth within the Expected Standard.
These outcomes provide an important national benchmark, but they form only one part of the way we understand children’s achievement across PCPS.
Understanding Our Results
Every Percentage Represents a Child
Every cohort is different.
Every child has an individual starting point.
Every percentage represents children with different strengths, needs, experiences and journeys through education.
Our Year 6 cohort in 2026 was relatively small, meaning that each individual child’s result had a significant impact on the published percentages. A small number of pupils also accessed statutory assessments through appropriate alternative arrangements because this was right for their individual needs.
For this reason, we never evaluate the success of our children or our school through headline data alone.
We consider statutory outcomes alongside:
- children’s individual journeys and starting points
- children’s work over time
- teacher assessment
- internal assessment
- curriculum evidence
- progress throughout the school
- attendance and wellbeing
- behaviour and attitudes
- personal development
- professional discussion
- pupil and parent voice
Bringing these different sources of evidence together gives us a balanced and accurate understanding of our children’s achievement and helps us identify where we can improve further.
Early Years
Building Strong Foundations
The journey begins in our Early Years.
Our provision is designed to give children the strongest possible foundations for future learning while nurturing their confidence, curiosity and independence.
Our Early Years curriculum places particular importance on:
- communication and language
- personal, social and emotional development
- physical development
- early reading
- early writing
- mathematics
- curiosity and exploration
- independence and resilience
Children’s development is carefully considered from their individual starting points, allowing teaching and provision to respond to what each child needs.
80% of children achieved a Good Level of Development in 2026.
This reflects the positive impact of our continued focus on communication and language and the wider Early Years curriculum.
Our ambition, however, extends well beyond the statutory measure.
We want children to leave Reception as confident communicators, curious learners and increasingly independent children who are excited and ready for the next stage of their education.
Find out more about our provision on our Early Years page.
Early Reading & Phonics
Reading Opens Doors
Learning to read is one of the most important foundations we can give a child.
Early reading begins from the moment children join our school through stories, rhyme, language development, conversation and a rich reading environment.
As children progress, they develop their reading through systematic phonics teaching alongside high-quality books, ambitious vocabulary and regular opportunities to enjoy and discuss stories.
In 2026:
Approximately 73% of Year 1 children achieved the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check.
Importantly:
100% of Year 2 children who resat the Phonics Screening Check achieved the expected standard.
We are pleased that continued teaching and intervention enabled children who needed additional time to successfully achieve the expected standard.
We also recognise that strengthening Year 1 phonics outcomes remains an important priority.
Our focus is therefore on early identification and timely intervention, ensuring children receive additional teaching and practice as soon as a need is identified.
Our ambition is not simply for children to pass a national check.
We want every child to become a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader.
Reading
A Significant Strength of PCPS
Reading sits at the heart of our curriculum.
We believe that confident readers become confident learners, and we have invested significantly in creating a culture where reading is valued, celebrated and embedded throughout the curriculum.
At the end of Key Stage 2 in 2026:
82% achieved the Expected Standard.
36% achieved the Higher Standard.
Reading remains a significant strength across PCPS.
Children encounter high-quality texts, ambitious vocabulary and regular opportunities to read, discuss books, recommend texts, explore ideas and develop increasingly sophisticated comprehension.
Our ambition extends beyond statutory assessment.
We want children to develop the fluency and comprehension needed to access the whole curriculum while developing a genuine love of books and reading that continues long after they leave primary school.
Reading is not simply something children learn to do. It is how they access the world.
Communication & Oracy
Finding Your Voice
Language is at the heart of learning.
Communication and oracy are increasingly embedded throughout our curriculum, enabling children to become confident and articulate learners.
Children are encouraged to:
- explain their thinking
- justify their ideas
- debate and discuss
- ask thoughtful questions
- listen carefully to others
- use ambitious and subject-specific vocabulary
- present ideas clearly
- communicate confidently with different audiences
These opportunities support learning across every curriculum subject and help children develop confidence both as learners and as individuals.
Our ambition is for every child to leave PCPS as an articulate, thoughtful and confident communicator.
Writing
Confident, Purposeful & Independent Writers
Writing is increasingly viewed as a whole-curriculum responsibility, rather than something that belongs only within English lessons.
At the end of Key Stage 2 in 2026:
78% achieved the Expected Standard in Writing.
13% achieved Greater Depth.
Writing is assessed through teacher assessment, drawing upon children’s work over time rather than a single statutory test.
Across the curriculum, children develop:
- stamina
- creativity
- vocabulary
- sentence construction
- handwriting
- spelling
- grammar
- punctuation
- editing
- presentation
- independence
Children write for meaningful and authentic purposes across a range of subjects.
We want the same high expectations to be evident whether a child is writing in English, Science, History, Geography, Religious Education or elsewhere across our curriculum.
Our evaluation recognises that increasing the proportion of children achieving Greater Depth in Writing is an important next step.
We will therefore continue strengthening children’s ability to:
- write confidently and purposefully
- use increasingly ambitious vocabulary
- develop stamina
- apply taught skills independently
- edit and improve their own work
- transfer strong writing habits across subjects
- take pride in the quality and presentation of their work
Our aim is to develop confident, accomplished and increasingly independent writers.
Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling
Accuracy Matters
Strong grammar, punctuation and spelling enable children to communicate their ideas accurately, clearly and confidently.
At the end of Key Stage 2 in 2026:
68% achieved the Expected Standard.
18% achieved the Higher Standard.
Our evaluation identifies grammar, spelling and punctuation as an important area for further development, and this forms a strategic whole-school priority.
Our focus is on helping children to:
- develop secure spelling knowledge
- apply grammar accurately
- use punctuation effectively
- recognise and correct errors
- edit independently
- apply taught skills consistently
- maintain the same high expectations across curriculum subjects
This work is closely connected to our wider focus on writing, presentation and children’s independence.
High expectations. Accurate communication. Pride in everything we produce.
Mathematical Excellence
Fluency • Reasoning • Problem Solving
Mathematics is another area of significant strength at PCPS.
Our mathematics curriculum develops much more than children’s ability to find the correct answer.
We want children to develop the knowledge, understanding and confidence to think mathematically.
Throughout school, children develop:
- secure number sense
- mathematical fluency
- accurate and efficient calculation
- mathematical vocabulary
- reasoning
- problem solving
- explanation and justification
- resilience when faced with challenge
- confidence in applying mathematics to unfamiliar situations
Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check
Our children achieved exceptional outcomes in the 2026 Multiplication Tables Check.
Average score: 24.2 out of 25
Secure multiplication knowledge provides children with an important foundation for increasingly sophisticated mathematical learning.
Key Stage 2 Mathematics
At the end of Year 6 in 2026:
74% achieved the Expected Standard.
43% achieved the Higher Standard.
We are particularly proud of the proportion of children achieving the Higher Standard.
Our next step is to continue developing mathematical reasoning alongside excellent fluency, ensuring children can explain, justify and apply their mathematical understanding confidently.
Assessment That Improves Learning
Assessment Has a Purpose
Assessment at PCPS is not simply about producing data.
Its most important purpose is to improve learning.
Teachers continually assess children’s understanding through questioning, discussion, observation, retrieval and children’s independent work.
We continually consider:
What does this child already know?
What have they understood?
What can they remember?
Can they apply their knowledge?
Where are the misconceptions or gaps?
Who needs additional support?
Who is ready for greater challenge?
Teachers use this information to adapt teaching, address misconceptions and provide additional support or challenge when it is needed.
Our internal assessment systems also enable us to understand children’s progress throughout the year rather than relying solely upon end-of-year outcomes.
Assessment should support learning rather than interrupt it.
High Expectations for Every Child
Ambition Without Barriers
We believe every child is capable of achieving and making progress.
Across PCPS, we maintain high expectations of:
Learning • Behaviour • Presentation • Effort • Achievement
Children are encouraged to understand what success looks like, respond positively to feedback, learn from mistakes and increasingly take responsibility for their own learning.
Where children require additional support, teaching is adapted and barriers are removed without lowering ambition.
Where children are ready for greater challenge, teachers deepen learning and provide opportunities for increasingly sophisticated thinking.
Inclusion & Equity
Every Child Known, Valued & Supported
Our vision of Life in Abundance is built upon the belief that every child should feel valued, experience success and have access to the opportunities they need to thrive.
Children arrive at PCPS with different strengths, experiences, starting points and needs.
Our responsibility is not to expect children to fit our provision, but to continually develop our provision to meet the needs of our children.
High aspirations are held for all.
Through adaptive teaching, targeted intervention and close partnerships with families and external professionals, we work to remove barriers while ensuring children remain fully involved in the life of our school.
Inclusion is not about reducing ambition. It is about removing barriers so that every child can belong, achieve and flourish.
Attendance, Behaviour & Belonging
Academic outcomes do not exist in isolation.
Children learn best when they attend regularly, feel safe, experience positive relationships and know that they belong.
Attendance therefore remains an important strategic priority for our school.
We consider:
- attendance and punctuality
- persistent absence
- behaviour
- attitudes towards learning
- safeguarding
- wellbeing
- participation
- children’s individual circumstances
- children’s sense of belonging
Rather than relying solely upon headline figures, we consider attendance alongside individual circumstances so that we understand not simply what is happening, but why.
This enables us to intervene early, work with families and provide appropriate support.
Our Classroom Promise is that every child should feel:
Safe • Happy • Known • Valued • Challenged • Inspired • Supported • Encouraged • Successful
You can read more about our expectations and approach on our Attendance page.
Behaviour & Attitudes
A Culture Where Children Flourish
We are extremely proud of the behaviour and attitudes demonstrated by our children.
Our school is built upon strong relationships, high expectations and a culture where children feel valued, respected and supported.
Children demonstrate kindness and respect towards adults and one another, while classrooms provide calm and purposeful environments where children feel confident to contribute, ask questions, make mistakes and challenge themselves.
Children increasingly take responsibility for their learning, respond positively to feedback and understand that success comes through perseverance, effort and continual improvement.
Our four school values provide a shared language for these expectations:
Perseverance • Creativity • Pride • Shine
Find out more about our values on our Ethos & Vision page.
More Than Academic Outcomes
Life in Abundance in Action
Academic achievement matters enormously, but an exceptional primary education is about much more.
Our vision of Life in Abundance means providing children with opportunities to discover their talents, develop new interests, build confidence and create memories that extend far beyond the classroom.
Alongside their academic curriculum, children benefit from opportunities including:
- specialist teaching
- Forest School and outdoor learning
- educational visits
- residential experiences
- competitive sport
- swimming
- music and performance
- productions
- technology
- House competitions
- pupil leadership
- School Council
- careers education and our Futures Fair
- charitable initiatives
- community partnerships
- clubs and enrichment activities
These experiences develop children’s confidence, character, independence, resilience, aspirations and understanding of the wider world.
Children are encouraged to lead, perform, compete, create, volunteer, reflect and aspire.
Not every child’s greatest achievement will be measured by a statutory assessment.
That is why providing an abundance of opportunities matters.
Find out more about the breadth of learning children experience on our Curriculum page.
Personal Development
Developing the Whole Child
Personal development is central to our vision of Life in Abundance.
We want children to leave PCPS as much more than successful pupils.
We want them to become confident, compassionate, resilient and ambitious young people who are well prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and challenges of modern life.
Our four school values provide a shared language for this development.
Perseverance
We encourage children to embrace challenge, develop resilience and never give up.
Creativity
We inspire children to think imaginatively, solve problems and express themselves confidently.
Pride
We encourage children to take pride in their learning, presentation, behaviour and contribution to our school community.
Shine
We celebrate individuality and encourage every child to become the very best version of themselves.
Perseverance • Creativity • Pride • Shine
You can find out more about the principles that underpin our school on our Ethos & Vision page.
Where We Are Going Next
Continual Improvement
We are proud of our children’s achievements, but successful schools never stand still.
Honest self-evaluation means celebrating what is working well while being equally clear about where we can become even better.
Over the coming year, we will continue to:
- further strengthen adaptive teaching
- embed high-quality communication and oracy across the curriculum
- raise standards in Writing, particularly at Greater Depth
- improve outcomes in grammar, spelling and punctuation
- sustain our strong outcomes in Reading
- continue developing mathematical reasoning alongside excellent fluency
- strengthen phonics outcomes through early identification and intervention
- further develop children’s independence, editing and reflection
- refine assessment so that misconceptions are identified and addressed as early as possible
- further reduce differences between groups of pupils
- continue improving attendance, particularly where barriers to regular attendance exist
- ensure every child receives the support and challenge they need to achieve their potential
Our ambition is not simply to improve percentages.
It is to improve children’s life chances through consistently high-quality education.
How We Know
Evidence-Informed & Reflective
We deliberately avoid evaluating the success of our school through headline data alone.
Throughout the year, our evaluation draws upon a wide range of evidence, including:
- statutory assessment outcomes
- internal assessment
- children’s work
- teacher assessment
- curriculum reviews
- lesson visits and learning walks
- pupil progress
- pupil voice
- parent and carer feedback
- attendance
- behaviour
- safeguarding
- personal development
- participation in wider opportunities
- professional dialogue
- Trustee monitoring
- external review
No single source of evidence determines our evaluation.
By bringing these different sources together, we develop a balanced and accurate understanding of our school.
This enables us to celebrate success with confidence, identify areas requiring further development and ensure our decisions remain honest, evidence-informed and ambitious.
At the heart of our evaluation is one simple question:
How can we make tomorrow even better for our children than today?
What Success Looks Like at PCPS
Ultimately, outcomes at Ponteland Community Primary School reflect much more than examination results.
They represent children’s learning, perseverance and development, the expertise of our staff, the strength of our relationships and the effectiveness of our curriculum.
By the time children leave PCPS, we want them to:
- have secure academic foundations
- read fluently and with enjoyment
- communicate confidently
- write accurately and purposefully
- think and reason mathematically
- ask thoughtful questions
- work increasingly independently
- respond positively to feedback
- persevere through challenge
- think creatively
- take pride in themselves and their work
- discover and develop their individual talents
- lead and contribute
- show kindness, compassion and respect
- understand and celebrate the wider world
- have confidence in what they can achieve
- be exceptionally well prepared for what comes next
Most importantly, we want every child to have had the opportunity to:
Achieve • Belong • Flourish
Through our vision of Life in Abundance, we remain committed to ensuring that every child leaves Ponteland Community Primary School ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges of the future with confidence and pride.
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Ponteland Community Primary School
Where an abundance of opportunities await.
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