Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0Sunniside’s state schools outscore 83% of towns in England
Reading, writing and maths at the expected standard: 71% of primary pupils in Sunniside, above both Tyne and Wear’s towns (65%) and towns in England (62%). No state-funded school is located inside Sunniside’s built-up area. Sunniside grades A− for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #6 of 34 in Tyne and Wear. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
Sunniside grades A− for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
The primary figure lifts Sunniside; the secondary figure holds it back.
Sunniside has no primaries of its own with KS2 results, so the primary figure uses the 11 graded primaries in and within 3 km of the town (1,140 pupils in results). Sunniside has no secondaries of its own with GCSE results, so the secondary figure uses the 2 graded secondaries in and within 3 km of the town (424 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
How school places work in Sunniside
Gateshead Council handles school applications for families in Sunniside. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
110th of 671 English towns of 2,500 to 5,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Sunniside, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gnosall Staffordshire | A+ | 83% | — | — |
| … | |||||
| 106 | Old Sarum Wiltshire | A− | 65% | 53.9 | 60% |
| 107 | Holmfirth West Yorkshire | A− | 64% | 56.2 | 69% |
| 108 | Bailrigg Lancashire | A− | 68% | 49.1 | 55% |
| 109 | Hardwick Cambridgeshire | A− | 64% | 56.8 | 61% |
| 110 | Sunniside Tyne and Wear | A− | 71% | 48.3 | 51% |
| 111 | Whyteleafe Surrey | A− | 68% | 50.4 | 51% |
| 112 | Perranporth Cornwall | A− | 67% | — | — |
| 113 | Send Surrey | A− | 63% | 57.8 | 72% |
| 114 | Cubbington Warwickshire | A− | 65% | 53.8 | 59% |
| … | |||||
| 671 | Watchet Somerset | D− | 29% | — | — |
Sunniside and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunniside 0 schools | A− | 71% | 48.3 |
| Whickham 8 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 1.2 mi | A− | 73% | 46 |
| Burnopfield 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.7 mi | B+ | 65% | — |
| Blaydon 5 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.7 mi | B | 61% | 47.4 |
| Kibblesworth 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.8 mi | B− | 65% | 42.7 |
| Rowlands Gill 3 schools · 2.9 mi | D− | 45% | — |
| Tanfield Lea 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3.4 mi | B | 64% | 46.2 |
| Urpeth 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3.8 mi | C+ | 60% | 45.2 |
Sunniside’s schools are graded at least as well as any neighbour’s. Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three.
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Sunniside
Are schools in Sunniside good?
Sunniside’s state schools earn an A− against schools across England: primary results beat 89% of towns in England; secondary results beat 68% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Gateshead council.
How do I apply for a school place in Sunniside?
Through Gateshead Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many state schools are in Sunniside?
0 open state-funded schools are located in Sunniside’s built-up area: 0 primary, 0 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.