North Tyneside is 14th of 149 councils in the Children's Commissioner's ranking, top in the North East. But exclusions and child injuries are near the bottom.
North Tyneside is one of the best places in England to grow up, according to a new national ranking from the Children’s Commissioner. The borough came 14th of 149 councils and first in the North East.
It scored 672 out of 960 in The Childhood Lottery, published on 19 October. The England average is 585. Northumberland is the next best in the region, on 602, and Middlesbrough the lowest, on 408.
The same data shows where the borough falls short. On three measures North Tyneside is at or near the very bottom of the country.
How the ranking works
The Commissioner scored every upper-tier council in England on 95 measures across six areas: health, education, family, care, community and the wider world. Each measure is worth up to 10 points. Most come from government statistics. Others come from the Commissioner’s survey of children, and some are yes-or-no answers councils gave about the services they run.
Every figure below comes from the full dataset. A rank of 1 is best.
Where North Tyneside leads
- Young carers: 71% of schools told the Commissioner they have a staff member dedicated to supporting young carers. That is the highest in England, against an average of 27%.
- Vaccinations: 92.6% of eligible children had the MMR jab in 2024-25, 10th in England (average 83%). HPV uptake among teenagers was 84.1%, the best in the region.
- Teachers and someone to talk to: only 5.6% of children surveyed said they did not have great teachers (8th), and 5.47% said they had no one supportive to talk to (9th).
- Mental health in schools: the borough is 9th for pupils reached by Mental Health Support Teams.
- Fewer children in temporary accommodation: 11 per 10,000 children, against an England average of 147.
- Libraries: 3.31 per 10,000 children, 18th in England.
North Tyneside also spends £140.50 per young person aged 13 to 19 on youth services, against an England average of £92.
Where it falls short
| Measure | North Tyneside | England average | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital admissions for injuries, ages 0 to 14, per 10,000 | 131.9 | 68.5 | 150th |
| Permanent exclusions from mainstream schools, per 10,000 pupils | 35 | 12.5 | 149th |
| Children who say they have nowhere to call home | 5.9% | 2% | 149th |
| Care leavers not in education, work or training | 46.7% | 40% | 141st |
| Care leavers in suitable accommodation | 83.4% | 89% | 123rd |
| Education, Health and Care Plans issued within 20 weeks | 26% | 46.4% | 114th |
The exclusion rate is the highest in the North East. The region’s councils range from 16 to 35 permanent exclusions per 10,000 pupils, and North Tyneside is at the top of that range.
Injury admissions cover children taken into hospital for accidental and deliberate injuries in 2024-25. North Tyneside’s rate is nearly twice the England average.
The “nowhere to call home” figure comes from the Commissioner’s survey of children, not from official records.
Some of the weaker scores are not the council’s alone. Child arrests, children reported missing and police use of force are measured across the whole Northumbria Police area, so they are the same for every council the force covers.
What the council says
North Tyneside Council welcomed the ranking on 22 October. Its release highlighted the young carers, vaccination and mental health results.
“There’s always more we can do, but these findings show that we are doing all we can to make our borough a place where children can thrive,” said Karen Clark, the Elected Mayor of North Tyneside.
The release did not mention the exclusion, injury or care leaver figures.
What it means for you
- If your child is at risk of exclusion, the council’s SEND Local Offer lists the support services and how to reach them.
- Families waiting for an Education, Health and Care Plan should know that only about a quarter were issued within the legal 20 weeks in 2025.
- The full dataset lets you compare North Tyneside with any other council in England, measure by measure.
- Local schools and services are in our North Tyneside school term dates page and the rest of our local news.
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