St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham
St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham is an academy converter in Hexham for pupils aged 9 to 13. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 168 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham is Good, from an inspection in June 2018 of its predecessor, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Middle School. In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: December 2023. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 9-13 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Highford Lane Hexham Northumberland NE46 2DD |
| Phone | 01434605124 |
| Reference Number | 148260 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 168 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 58.33%
Girls: 41.67% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 19% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 1.8% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 18.1 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 16 | 18 | 34 |
| 6 | 21 | 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 38 | 18 | 56 |
| 8 | 23 | 28 | 51 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 92.9% |
| White, Other | 1.8% |
| White & Asian | 1.2% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.2% |
| Indian | 0.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.6% |
| African | 0.6% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Middle School, inspected in June 2018.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 24 Oct 2023 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 24 Oct 2023 | School inspection |
| 09 Dec 2020 | Academy conversion letter |
| 13 Jun 2018 | Short inspection |
| Previously as St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Middle School | |
| 04 Feb 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Feb 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Mar 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 21 Oct 2003 | Full inspection |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 59% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 3% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 103 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 103 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -1.6 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | -0.1 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -2.3 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
See how St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Places and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham had 181 pupils for 279 places. 98 places (35.1%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Hexham Primary” planning area
Northumberland counted 196 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 175 in 2029–30, down 11%.
Year 7 intake in the “Hexham Secondary” planning area
Northumberland counted 293 Year 7 pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 254 in 2031–32, down 13%.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 279 | 279 | 279 | 279 | 279 |
| Pupils | 297 | 273 | 228 | 189 | 181 |
| Unfilled | 0.0% | 2.2% | 18.3% | 32.3% | 35.1% |
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 St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 9.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 4.5% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 4.0% | 3.5% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.3% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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, 2.2% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 1.7 | 5.8 | 13.0 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham had 15.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 10.4 | 11.6 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 4.8% | 6.8% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 64.3% | 35.7% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 10.6 | 4.6 | – |
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, 17.3% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Social, emotional and mental health | 5 | 4 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 9 | 0 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 7 | 1 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 3 | 1 |
| Physical disability | 2 | 0 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 2 | 0 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 1 | 0 |
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 St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham received £7,979 and spent £8,608 for each of its 179 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £67,000 (-£375 per pupil).
Across all 46 schools of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, income was £7,708 and spending £7,760 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £31,000 | £147,000 | £48,000 | -£67,000 |
| per pupil | £112 | £616 | £261 | -£375 |
| In-year balance | £32,000 | £129,000 | -£83,000 | -£113,000 |
| per pupil | £116 | £541 | -£446 | -£629 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
Hencotes, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 2EE |
0.47 miles |
|
The Sele First School
The Sele, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3QZ |
0.53 miles |
|
Hexham Middle School
Whetstone Bridge Road, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3JB |
0.72 miles |
|
Hexham First School
Beaufront Avenue, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1JD |
1.13 miles |
|
Acomb First School
Bishops Hill, Main Street, Acomb, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 4PL |
1.9 miles |
|
Beaufront First School
Sandhoe, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 4LY |
2.57 miles |
|
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School
Leazes Lane, Whitley Chapel, Steel, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 0HB |
3.67 miles |
|
Newbrough Church of England Primary School
Fourstones, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 5AQ |
3.77 miles |
|
Corbridge Middle School
Cow Lane, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5HX |
3.86 miles |
|
Corbridge (VA) Church of England First School
St Helen's Lane, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5JQ |
4.25 miles |
|
Humshaugh Church of England First School
Humshaugh, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 4AA |
4.55 miles |
|
Slaley First School
Slaley Village, Main Street, Slaley, Northumberland, NE47 0AA |
4.84 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Queen Elizabeth High School
Whetstone Bridge Road, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3JB |
0.13 miles |
|
Hexham Priory School
Corbridge Road, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1UY |
1.21 miles |
All schools in Hexham · Northumberland local authority: places and applications
St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham is part of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham Hexham
- St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, Prudhoe Prudhoe
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Blackhill Consett
- St Agnes' Catholic Primary School, Crawcrook Ryton
- St Pius Xth Catholic Primary School, Consett Consett
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Consett Consett
- Our Lady and St Joseph Brooms Catholic Primary School, Leadgate Consett
- St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Blaydon Blaydon-On-Tyne
- St Thomas More Catholic School, Blaydon Blaydon-On-Tyne
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blaydon Blaydon-On-Tyne
What is St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham is Good, from an inspection in June 2018 of its predecessor, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Middle School.
When was St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham last inspected by Ofsted?
St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham was last inspected in December 2023.
How many pupils does St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham have?
St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham has 168 pupils on roll.
What age range does St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham cover?
St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham for pupils aged 9 to 13.
What are St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham?
St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham is at Highford Lane, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 2DD.