Beaufront First School

Beaufront First School is a small, welcoming school where pupils attend regularly, behave well and feel safe. Safeguarding standards are met. The early years, inclusion and personal development/wellbeing provision are strengths: children get a nurturing start, pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are supported well, and pupils are respectful and confident. Reading is a particular strength, with phonics outcomes consistently above the national average. However, the school's achievement in writing and mathematics requires attention. Many pupils do not form letters and numbers accurately, spell common words correctly or apply punctuation rules consistently. Number bonds and multiplication facts are not secure, and Year 4 multiplication tables check outcomes have remained below the national average. This slows progress in mathematics and leaves pupils less well prepared for the next stage. Teachers' expectations in writing and mathematics are not high enough, and leaders' recent actions have not yet had sufficient impact. Governance has experienced instability, with several governors, including the chair and vice-chair, resigning recently; new governors have been appointed and an interim chair is in place. Governors have not provided sufficient challenge to leaders. The headteacher was not present during the inspection, and an acting headteacher spoke with inspectors. Parents are very positive about the school, and leaders consider staff workload, but the school's next steps are to strengthen writing, mathematics and governance.

Strengths

• Pupils attend regularly and punctually, with very low persistent absence.
• Pupils behave well, feel safe and are rarely unkind or involved in bullying.
• Early years provision is safe, welcoming and nurturing, with staff knowing children well.
• Children in early years make good progress, especially in speech, language, phonics and early number.
• Leaders create an inclusive culture where pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are valued and supported.
• Pupils' personal development and wellbeing are prioritised, helping them become confident, resilient and respectful.
• Reading is a strength: pupils read accurately and fluently, and phonics outcomes are consistently above national average.
• Parents are very positive about the school and the individual support their children receive.
• Staff workload and wellbeing are considered, and training plus external partnerships strengthen teaching.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement in writing and mathematics is not secure across key stages 1 and 2.
• Many pupils do not form letters and numbers accurately or spell common words correctly.
• Pupils do not consistently apply the punctuation rules they have been taught.
• Pupils do not learn number bonds and multiplication facts securely, and Year 4 multiplication tables check outcomes remain below national average.
• Teachers' expectations in writing and mathematics are not high enough.
• Basic skills in writing and mathematics are not taught well enough for pupils to secure age-appropriate knowledge.
• Older pupils do not record their calculations and methods systematically.
• Leaders' strategic actions have not yet had sufficient impact on pupils' progress and attainment.
• Governance has been unstable, and governors have not provided sufficient challenge to leaders.
• New governors and the interim chair need to strengthen their knowledge and expertise to hold leaders to account effectively.

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 Beaufront First School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.5% 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 Beaufront 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 Beaufront First School had 11.7 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, 14.5% of pupils at Beaufront First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.8% 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 Beaufront First School received £11,316 and spent £12,261 for each of its 62 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £62,000 (-£1,003 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 Beaufront First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beaufront First School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Beaufront First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Beaufront First School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Beaufront First School have?

Beaufront First School has 62 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beaufront First School cover?

Beaufront First School for pupils aged 4 to 9.

Where is Beaufront First School?

Beaufront First School is at Sandhoe, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 4LY.