Grange First School, Gosforth
A warm, nurturing first school at the heart of Gosforth — rated Good by Ofsted since 2006, with Forest School, OPAL outdoor play, and a 98% parent recommendation rate.
Grange First School on Norham Road is one of Gosforth's most established schools, serving children from nursery age through to Year 4 (ages 3-9). Rated Good by Ofsted at every inspection since at least 2006, it has a reputation as a warm, community-focused school where children thrive. Here's what parents need to know.
The Basics
Grange First School sits on Norham Road, NE3 2NP, right in the heart of residential Gosforth. The school has around 321 pupils on roll with a maximum capacity of 352. The Published Admission Number (PAN) is 60 for Reception entry, and the nursery accommodates 52 part-time or 26 full-time children from age 3.
School hours are 8:45am to 3:15pm, with the nursery running 9:00am to 3:00pm. The school feeds into Gosforth Central Middle School and then on to Gosforth Academy — the standard Gosforth three-tier pathway.
Headteacher Mrs Clare Clougher leads the school, having been appointed shortly before the pandemic.
Ofsted
The school has maintained a consistent Good rating across every documented inspection — November 2021, December 2016, November 2011, April 2009, and February 2006. That's nearly two decades of stability.
The most recent Ofsted report (November 2021, published January 2022) described the school as an "extremely vibrant, caring and nurturing place to learn." Inspectors highlighted the teaching of early reading as "a particular strength," noting that pupils who need to catch up make strong progress. The school's PSHE curriculum was praised for developing kindness, thoughtfulness, and trustworthiness in pupils.
98% of parents surveyed said they would recommend the school to another parent. 91% praised the range of subjects and access to clubs and activities.
Forest School
One of Grange First's standout features is its dedicated Forest School programme. This outdoor learning approach uses child-centred activities to build self-esteem and independence through short, achievable tasks that draw on imagination and creativity. Ofsted noted that "pupils speak animatedly" about their Forest School experiences.
OPAL — Outdoor Play and Learning
Launched in May 2021, the school's OPAL programme has transformed break times into a rich, imaginative experience. The school has invested in an impressive range of outdoor play infrastructure — a mud kitchen and mud pit, loose parts field, sand pit, water play zone, music wall, performance stage, bird hide, and even dinosaur and pallet house areas.
The programme includes OPAL Cadets (a pupil leadership role for outdoor play) and the Golden Welly Award for outstanding play behaviour. The school reports reduced first-aid incidents, improved playtime behaviour, and better teamwork since OPAL's introduction.
Curriculum and Clubs
The school delivers a broad curriculum including English, Maths, Science, Art, Design & Technology, Music, History, Geography, Computing, PE, Religious Education, and — unusually for a first school — Spanish. The curriculum follows the Gosforth Schools' Trust Curriculum Gateways framework, a shared progression structure across the Trust's first and middle schools.
After-school clubs include Forest School, golf, art, and gardening. The school runs TreeTops, its own breakfast and after-school wraparound care service staffed by school employees rather than a third-party provider — a reassuring detail for working parents.
History
The current building opened in March 1949 as Gosforth West Infant School. In September 1975, when Newcastle adopted its three-tier school system, it was converted to first school status and a nursery unit was added. The school is a founding member of the Gosforth Schools' Trust, a collaborative partnership of 11 Gosforth schools (9 first schools and 2 middle schools) working together on curriculum, development, and transition.
Admissions
Applications are managed through Newcastle City Council. The school draws primarily from the surrounding NE3 residential area. Places are allocated on the basis of the council's standard oversubscription criteria. Given the school's popularity, it's worth applying early — particularly for nursery places.
For more information, contact the school office on 0191 285 2954 or email office@grangefirst.co.uk.
Looking for more school information? See our guide to the [Best Schools in Gosforth](/blog/best-schools-in-gosforth).