NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School

NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspection areas. The school's community engagement is strong, fostering a welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The curriculum is ambitious and well-adapted to meet the needs of its mixed-age classes, and particularly prioritizes reading, which supports students' overall academic progress. Leadership at the school demonstrates a commitment to high expectations, and there are effective provisions to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This marks the school's first inspection since becoming part of the Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust.

Strengths

• Strong community engagement and a welcoming environment for pupils.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum tailored to mixed-age classes.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Prioritization of reading which enhances academic performance.
• Wide range of extracurricular experiences extending learning beyond the classroom.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils contributing to a supportive school culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack precise knowledge and skill progression tied to mixed-age curriculum.

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 NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% 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, 2.2% of pupils at NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School 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 NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.4% 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, 31.2% of pupils at NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.8% 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 NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School received £8,628 and spent £9,463 for each of its 122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £29,000 (£242 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, income was £9,125 and spending £8,946 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 Morpeth · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School is part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• NCEA Grace Darling CofE Primary School Newbiggin-By-The-Sea
• NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School Ashington
• NCEA Castle School Ashington
• NCEA Duke's Secondary School Ashington
• NCEA Bishop's Primary School Ashington
• NCEA James Knott CofE Primary School Ashington
• NCEA Warkworth Church of England Primary School Morpeth
• Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School Alnwick

What is NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School have?

NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School has 125 pupils on roll.

What age range does NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School cover?

NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 29% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School?

NCEA William Leech CofE Primary School is at Church Square, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 5TR.