Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School

The school is a small Church of England primary in the Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, with around 100 pupils and higher-than-average proportions of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Safeguarding standards are met, and the inspection found the school performing at the expected standard across all evaluated areas, with no areas requiring attention or urgent improvement. Leaders have an accurate view of strengths and priorities, and trust and governance support are notable strengths. Pupils are known well and feel safe in a warm, inclusive community. Teaching is purposeful, the curriculum is broad and ambitious, and recent improvements in phonics, early writing and multiplication tables are having a positive impact. Pupils with SEND make appropriate progress, disadvantaged pupils achieve broadly in line with peers, behaviour is calm and positive, and the early years and personal development offer are strengths. Attendance support is well understood, but attendance and persistent absence remain below national averages, though very small cohorts affect comparisons. Key areas for further work are the clarity of curriculum sequencing in mixed-age classes, ensuring pupils are consistently challenged and revisit knowledge across subjects, and strengthening the evaluation and strategic monitoring of interventions for vulnerable pupils so leaders can demonstrate impact and adapt support as needs change.

Strengths

• Warm, inclusive and caring school community where pupils feel safe and valued
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding
• Broad and ambitious curriculum with a clear focus on reading, phonics and mathematics
• Effective action has strengthened phonics and Year 4 multiplication outcomes
• Pupils with SEND make appropriate progress because learning is adapted effectively
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve broadly in line with their peers
• Pupils behave well in a calm and purposeful environment, and bullying is rare
• Positive, trusting relationships between staff and pupils
• Well-planned early years provision with secure phonics and a renewed focus on early writing
• Strong inclusive culture with prompt identification of additional needs and tailored support
• Supportive leadership, governance and trust collaboration that builds capacity
• Personal development programme offers enriching trips, visits, leadership roles and pastoral care
• Parents speak positively about the care and support their children receive
• Attendance support is well understood and individually targeted, improving attendance where pupils remain at the school

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance overall is below national averages, with overall absence and persistent absence above national averages, although small cohorts affect comparisons
• Curriculum planning in mixed-age classes needs refinement so progression in subject-specific and disciplinary knowledge is clearly sequenced
• Pupils are not consistently challenged to deepen their understanding and apply their knowledge
• Opportunities to revisit important knowledge are not fully consistent across all subjects
• Evaluation of interventions and adaptive approaches for SEND and vulnerable pupils needs strengthening to demonstrate impact
• Strategic monitoring and evaluation of support for vulnerable pupils needs improvement so provision is carefully planned, consistently implemented and evaluated
• Subject and phase leaders are still developing their ability to evaluate the impact of their work

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 Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England 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 Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School had 19.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.6% 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, 27.9% of pupils at Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.8% 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 Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School received £9,226 and spent £9,354 for each of its 94 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £24,000 (£254 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 Alnwick · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School is part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School have?

Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School has 104 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School cover?

Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

Where is Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School?

Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School is at Howling Lane, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1DJ.