Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School

Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School demonstrates a strong overall performance, achieving a 'Good' rating across all areas of inspection. The school prides itself on its small, caring environment where pupils embody core values like hope and honesty, leading to an enthusiastic and supportive school culture. The curriculum designed by school leaders notably prioritizes reading and mathematics, ensuring that all students, including those with special educational needs, receive the support they need to succeed. Additionally, the mutual respect among pupils and the clear behavior expectations laid out by the school contribute to a safe and nurturing atmosphere for learning.

Strengths

• Well-planned curriculum supports mixed-age classes effectively.
• Strong emphasis on reading and mathematics, with high-quality phonics teaching.
• Positive relationships fostering respect and kindness among pupils.
• Effective behavior management systems leading to a safe environment.
• Engagement in leadership activities enhances pupils' character development.
• Parents express overwhelming support for the school and its initiatives.

Areas for Improvement

• Some foundation subjects lack clarity in lesson content sequencing.
• Assessment methods in certain subjects are not effectively checking pupil understanding.

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 Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Whalton Church of England Aided 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 Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School had 8.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.3% 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, 17.4% of pupils at Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 21.7% 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 Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School received £20,891 and spent £20,217 for each of its 23 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £18,000 (£773 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 Morpeth · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School have?

Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School has 23 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School cover?

Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School?

Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School is at Whalton, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3XH.