Archibald First School, Gosforth
One of Gosforth's most popular schools — with Outstanding behaviour, Outstanding early years, OPAL Platinum, and a 97% parent recommendation rate.
Archibald First School on Archibald Street is one of the most popular and highly regarded schools in Gosforth. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025 gave it Outstanding for Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Early Years — with Good for Quality of Education and Leadership. With a 97% parent recommendation rate, it's a school that families actively seek out.
The Basics
Archibald First School is at Archibald Street, NE3 1EB. It's a two-form entry school with an attached nursery, serving children from age 3 to 9 (Nursery through Year 4). There are around 331 pupils on roll against a capacity of 352, with a Published Admission Number of 60 per year group.
Headteacher Mrs Rebecca Turner leads the school. The motto is "Having Fun, Learning Together" and the four core pupil values are: Curious, Caring, Creative, Courageous.
The school feeds into Gosforth Junior High Academy at Year 5, then on to Gosforth Academy.
Ofsted
The most recent Ofsted inspection (29-30 April 2025) was conducted under the new framework that no longer awards a single overall grade. The results were exceptional:
Outstanding: Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Early Years Provision
Good: Quality of Education, Leadership and Management
Inspectors described pupils as "eager to learn" with "exemplary behaviour." The curriculum was called "ambitious and broad" with high expectations. The early years environment was praised as warm and well-organised. The school was previously rated Outstanding overall in 2015.
97% of parents surveyed said they would recommend the school.
Curriculum
The school teaches a notably broad curriculum including Spanish from Reception — unusual for a first school. Oracy (speaking and listening) is taught as a discrete subject, not just embedded elsewhere. Other subjects include English, Maths, Science, Computing, Art & Design, Design Technology, Geography, History, Music, PE, PSHE, and RE.
The school holds International School status — now in its 12th consecutive year — with active partnerships with schools in Seville, Spain and Accra, Ghana. Year 4 children engage directly with their Spanish partner school.
Regular themed weeks include Art Week, STEM Week, and Design Technology Week. RE includes visits to places of worship including Hindu temples.
Forest School and OPAL
The school has two qualified Level 3 Forest School leaders running sessions in the on-site wildlife garden and pond area. Nursery and Reception children have weekly Forest School sessions all year round, while Years 1-4 visit half-termly across different seasons.
The [OPAL](https://www.archibaldfirstschool.co.uk/OPAL/) (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme was introduced in Autumn 2022, and the school achieved the OPAL Platinum Award in February 2024 — the highest level. The site is divided into play zones with tyres, den-building materials, small world toys, and wheeled vehicles, operating in all weathers.
Clubs and Activities
Clubs rotate half-termly and are allocated by random selection for fairness. The range is impressive:
Music: Gosforth Band, Gosforth Voices choir, guitar, trumpet, ukulele, violin. Sport: Football, archery, rugby, UV dodgeball, yoga. Creative: Art club, street dance, rock up and sing. Languages: Arabic, French. STEM: Earth science, Lego technology and computing. Environment: Planet Protectors, Waste Warriors.
Awards
Archibald has accumulated a remarkable collection of accreditations: Artsmark Gold, Green Flag Award with Distinction (held for 11 years), Healthy Schools Award (14+ years), Inclusion Quality Framework Mark, School of Sanctuary, Primary Science Quality Mark (Gilt level), School Games Mark Platinum, and Climate Friendly School status (2025).
Wrap-Around Care
Breakfast Club is run by Ladybird Playgroup from 7:30am. After-school care is available on-site through Schools Out Childcare (until 5:30pm) and off-site through Captain Ted's (until 6:15pm). Holiday club options include Ladybird, Lee Sterry Sports Coaching, Captain Ted's, and Rugby Minis.
Admissions
Applications for Reception places are managed through Newcastle City Council. Nursery admissions are managed directly by the school. The school is oversubscribed — contact the office on 0191 285 1957 or email office@archibaldfirstschool.co.uk.
For a broader overview, see our guide to the [Best Schools in Gosforth](/blog/best-schools-in-gosforth).