Hesleden Primary School

Hesleden Primary School is currently experiencing challenges in several key areas, particularly regarding the foundational knowledge of its students in reading, writing, and mathematics. While the school has shown strengths in promoting positive behavior and student well-being, gaps in knowledge and inconsistencies in teaching methods hinder overall progress. Leadership has faced recent disruptions, but there are indications of commitment to improvement with leaders actively working on addressing issues related to special educational needs and curriculum adaptation. Parents express a positive view of the changes being made, which bodes well for future development.

Strengths

• Strong focus on high attendance with innovative solutions to remove barriers.
• Positive behavior management recognized by pupils.
• Pupils feel safe and cared for, fostering a sense of belonging.
• Early years develop children's social skills effectively.
• Good outcomes in phonics and reading across the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Gaps in foundational knowledge of reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Inconsistencies in the effectiveness of interactions in early years.
• Lack of effective assessment methods to check on pupils' learning.
• Insufficient support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Limited understanding of fundamental British values among pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Hesleden Primary School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.0% of pupils at Hesleden Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Hesleden Primary School had 13.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.6% of pupils at Hesleden Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Hesleden Primary School received £11,140 and spent £10,761 for each of its 81 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £56,000 (£695 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Hartlepool · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Hesleden Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hesleden Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Hesleden Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hesleden Primary School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Hesleden Primary School have?

Hesleden Primary School has 85 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hesleden Primary School cover?

Hesleden Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Hesleden Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hesleden Primary School?

Hesleden Primary School is at Hesleden, Hartlepool, TS27 4PT.