Acomb First School

Acomb First School has been recognized as a good school, continuing to excel in various areas since its previous inspection. The local community holds the school in high regard, praising the recent improvements that enable students to thrive. Significant changes in senior leadership have resulted in ambitious leadership that has positively impacted several aspects of the school, particularly in academic and personal development. The broad curriculum provided helps students develop personal and leadership skills, with effective support for those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). Parents express strong support for the nurturing environment provided by the staff.

Strengths

• Strong community support and parent satisfaction.
• Effective leadership with clear vision for improvement.
• Broad academic and wider curriculum promoting personal development.
• High expectations leading to good pupil behavior.
• Well-taught phonics curriculum resulting in fluent reading.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND to access the curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Current temporary staffing arrangements in early years limit curriculum development.
• Some new curriculums are in early stages, lacking comprehensive assessment processes.

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 Acomb First School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.9% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Acomb First 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 Acomb First School had 11.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 39.7% of pupils at Acomb First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.2% 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 Acomb First School received £10,707 and spent £10,929 for each of its 58 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £32,000 (-£560 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 Hexham · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Acomb First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Acomb First School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Acomb First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Acomb First School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Acomb First School have?

Acomb First School has 58 pupils on roll.

What age range does Acomb First School cover?

Acomb First School for pupils aged 4 to 9.

Where is Acomb First School?

Acomb First School is at Bishops Hill, Main Street, Acomb, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 4PL.