Bellingham Middle School and Sports College

Bellingham Middle School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas, which include the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school is recognized for its caring environment, where pupils feel safe and happy, and significant improvements have been made since its last inspection which was rated as 'Requires Improvement'. Leaders are ambitious for their students and aim to enhance the curriculum, particularly in core subjects like mathematics and English, which are progressing well.

Strengths

• Exceptional care and support for pupils
• Strong behaviour management with clear policies
• High expectations of pupil achievement
• Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
• Diverse extra-curricular opportunities available
• Improving reading and vocabulary through daily lessons

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum lacks coherence in some foundation subjects
• Need for improved planning and sequencing in subjects like music and French

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 Bellingham Middle School and Sports College attended 89.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 5.9% of pupils at Bellingham Middle School and Sports College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Bellingham Middle School and Sports College had 7.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 83.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 19.6% of pupils at Bellingham Middle School and Sports College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 10.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Bellingham Middle School and Sports College received £14,472 and spent £14,094 for each of its 46 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £120,000 (£2,608 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 Bellingham Middle School and Sports College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bellingham Middle School and Sports College is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Bellingham Middle School and Sports College last inspected by Ofsted?

Bellingham Middle School and Sports College was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Bellingham Middle School and Sports College have?

Bellingham Middle School and Sports College has 46 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bellingham Middle School and Sports College cover?

Bellingham Middle School and Sports College for pupils aged 9 to 13.

What are Bellingham Middle School and Sports College's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 18% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bellingham Middle School and Sports College?

Bellingham Middle School and Sports College is at Redesmouth Road, Bellingham, Hexham, Northumberland, NE48 2EN.