Shaftoe Trust Academy

Shaftoe Trust Academy is performing strongly overall. This small school, part of the WISE Academy Trust, was inspected in July 2026 following a significant leadership change, with the executive headteacher joining in January 2026. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils achieve well, including consistently strong phonics and mathematics outcomes. Most areas of the school’s work are strong, particularly attendance, behaviour, early years, inclusion, personal development and leadership.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well across the curriculum and are prepared for the next stage of education.
• Phonics outcomes have been consistently above the national average over time.
• Pupils achieve highly in mathematics, including the Year 4 multiplication tables check.
• Attendance is high and persistent absence is well below national averages.
• Pupils behave very well, showing politeness, respect and positive attitudes to learning.
• Early years provision gives children a strong foundation, especially in phonics, reading, writing, early mathematics and communication.
• Inclusion is a significant strength, with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Personal development and wellbeing are prioritised through a broad programme, strong pastoral care and enriching experiences.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with effective support and challenge from the trust.
• Pupils feel safe, valued and supported, and they know trusted adults will help them.
• Pupils develop confidence, resilience and a strong respect for diversity and inclusion.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not always make suitable adaptations to ensure all pupils are consistently supported to access the intended curriculum successfully.
• Greater consistency in the quality of teaching across all classes is still needed.

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 Shaftoe Trust Academy attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% 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 Shaftoe Trust Academy 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 Shaftoe Trust Academy had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Shaftoe Trust Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.9% 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 2024–25 Shaftoe Trust Academy received £7,873 and spent £8,052 for each of its 109 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £79,000 (£721 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Wise Academies, income was £8,327 and spending £8,361 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

Shaftoe Trust Academy is part of Wise Academies, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Haltwhistle Primary Academy Haltwhistle
• Prudhoe West Academy Prudhoe
• Adderlane Academy Prudhoe
• Esh Winning Academy Durham
• Welbeck Academy Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Bothal Academy Ashington
• Morpeth Road Academy Blyth
• Malvin's Close Academy Blyth
• Central Academy Ashington
• Croftway Academy Blyth

What is Shaftoe Trust Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shaftoe Trust Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Shaftoe Trust Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Shaftoe Trust Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Shaftoe Trust Academy have?

Shaftoe Trust Academy has 102 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shaftoe Trust Academy cover?

Shaftoe Trust Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Shaftoe Trust Academy?

Shaftoe Trust Academy is at Haydon Bridge, Hexham, NE47 6BN.