Whitfield CofE Primary School

Whitfield CofE Primary School demonstrates a strong commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for its pupils, with effective leadership prioritizing attendance and behavior. The school has seen significant improvements in attendance rates, which are now well above the national average, and its nurturing approach effectively supports pupils' well-being. However, despite these strengths, the school faces challenges in raising academic outcomes, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics, where pupils are underperforming compared to national standards.

Strengths

• Strong commitment to safeguarding and well-being of pupils.
• Well above average attendance rates across all key stages.
• Inclusive support for pupils facing barriers to learning.
• Effective nurturing environment that fosters personal development.
• Positive behavior management strategies in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Insufficient progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Low attainment in Year 1 phonics screening and Year 4 multiplication checks.
• Inconsistent delivery of the phonics scheme affecting early reading.
• Poor development of basic skills such as letter and number formation.
• Lack of challenge in learning activities for early years pupils.

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 2023–24 pupils at Whitfield CofE Primary School attended 83.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.5%). 45.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 14.6%).

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 2023–24, 0.0% of pupils at Whitfield CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.0%). 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 Whitfield CofE Primary School had 8.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2023–24, 50.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 17.1%).

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, 4.5% of pupils at Whitfield CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 2023–24 Whitfield CofE Primary School received £14,303 and spent £12,515 for each of its 24 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £131,000 (£5,445 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust, income was £9,527 and spending £9,193 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

Whitfield CofE Primary School is part of The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Gilsland CofE Primary School Brampton
• Lazonby C of E Primary School Penrith
• Wreay Church of England Primary School Carlisle
• Threlkeld CofE Primary School Keswick
• Braithwaite CofE Primary School Keswick
• Ambleside CofE Primary School Ambleside
• Lorton School Cockermouth
• All Saints' CofE School Cockermouth
• Ellenborough Academy Maryport
• Dean CofE School Workington

What is Whitfield CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitfield CofE Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Whitfield CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitfield CofE Primary School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Whitfield CofE Primary School have?

Whitfield CofE Primary School has 22 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitfield CofE Primary School cover?

Whitfield CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Whitfield CofE Primary School?

Whitfield CofE Primary School is at Whitfield, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 8JH.