St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham

St Mary's Catholic First School is performing well overall, earning a 'Good' rating in all inspected areas. The school provides a supportive and nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The leadership has shown determination to improve the quality of education, particularly after recent staff changes. While the pupils exhibit strong behavior and are eager learners, there are some challenges with the curriculum delivery that need addressing, especially in subjects like science and history. The school is committed to ensuring that pupils, including those with special educational needs, receive the support they need to thrive academically and socially.

Strengths

• Positive and nurturing environment for pupils
• Strong relationships between staff and students
• High expectations from leaders and governors
• Broad and sequenced curriculum in place
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Strong emphasis on reading and phonics
• Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of mathematical concepts
• Engaging personal development curriculum

Areas for Improvement

• Writing curriculum does not align with phonics programme
• Inconsistent focus on key learning in some lessons

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 Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.4% 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 St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham 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 St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham had 13.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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, 6.2% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham received £7,774 and spent £8,934 for each of its 92 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £302,000 (-£3,283 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

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

St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is part of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• St Joseph's Catholic Middle 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 Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham have?

St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham has 81 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham cover?

St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham for pupils aged 4 to 9.

Where is St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?

St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is at Hencotes, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 2EE.