Queen Elizabeth High School

Queen Elizabeth High School is performing well, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas, including the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and sixth-form provision. The school is part of the Hadrian Learning Trust, which enhances its resources and support. The welcoming environment is conducive to learning, and students benefit from a broad curriculum that prepares them for university and future opportunities. High achievement in national assessments and a wide range of extracurricular activities further contribute to a positive school culture.

Strengths

• Rich and broad curriculum that supports effective learning.
• High expectations leading to good achievement in national assessments.
• Extensive range of enrichment opportunities for students.
• Strong personal development program helping students become good citizens.
• Effective support for students with special educational needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupils' understanding across subjects.
• Some pupils lack clarity about career options at age 16.

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 Queen Elizabeth High School attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.2% 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, 7.4% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth High School 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 Queen Elizabeth High School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.3% 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, 4.0% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% 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 2024–25 Queen Elizabeth High School received £7,573 and spent £7,782 for each of its 1,306 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £819,000 (£627 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Hadrian Learning Trust, income was £7,321 and spending £7,497 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Hexham · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

Queen Elizabeth High School is part of Hadrian Learning Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Hexham Middle School Hexham

What is Queen Elizabeth High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Queen Elizabeth High School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Queen Elizabeth High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Queen Elizabeth High School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Queen Elizabeth High School have?

Queen Elizabeth High School has 1,299 pupils on roll.

What age range does Queen Elizabeth High School cover?

Queen Elizabeth High School for pupils aged 13 to 18.

Where is Queen Elizabeth High School?

Queen Elizabeth High School is at Whetstone Bridge Road, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3JB.