Wark Church of England Primary School

Wark Church of England Primary School is a small, rural Church of England school and part of the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust. Inspectors found a school at the heart of its community with a strong, inclusive culture, very high attendance and consistently positive behaviour. Safeguarding standards are met. Early years and inclusion are particular strengths, with children settling quickly, effective phonics and early reading, and strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils achieve well overall and are prepared for the next stage of their education, with reading, writing and mathematics outcomes above national averages in 2024/25, although the combined reading, writing and mathematics measure is close to average.

Strengths

• High attendance and a strong shared culture around regular attendance
• Very positive pupil behaviour and an extremely low incidence of bullying
• Strong early years provision with effective phonics and early reading
• Strong culture of inclusion with effective support for SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, with outcomes above national averages
• Purposeful leadership and effective governance and trust oversight
• Calm, caring and supportive school community with strong staff-pupil relationships
• Broad enrichment and personal development opportunities
• Effective use of additional funding and targeted interventions

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum in some subjects needs further refinement for mixed-age classes
• Progression in knowledge and skills is not always fully clear in some curriculum areas
• Pupils' knowledge in some PSHE aspects lacks depth, including understanding of other faiths and religions
• Subject leadership is still developing in some curriculum areas

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 Wark Church of England Primary School attended 97.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 0.0% 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 Wark 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 Wark Church of England Primary School had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.3% 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, 23.2% of pupils at Wark Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 Wark Church of England Primary School received £8,898 and spent £9,081 for each of its 60 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £12,000 (£209 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust, income was £7,271 and spending £7,125 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

Wark Church of England Primary School is part of Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust, which runs 22 schools. The nearest others:

• Newbrough Church of England Primary School Hexham
• Henshaw Church of England Primary School Hexham
• Greenhead Church of England Nursery and Primary School Brampton
• Bishop Ian Ramsey CofE Primary School Consett
• Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School Bishop Auckland
• St Aidan's Church of England Primary School Gateshead
• Northern Saints Church of England Academy Sunderland
• Cleadon Church of England Academy Sunderland
• Green Lane Church of England Primary School Barnard Castle
• Ingleton CofE Primary School Darlington

What is Wark Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wark Church of England Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Wark Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wark Church of England Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Wark Church of England Primary School have?

Wark Church of England Primary School has 69 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wark Church of England Primary School cover?

Wark Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Wark Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wark Church of England Primary School?

Wark Church of England Primary School is at Wark, Hexham, Northumberland, NE48 3LS.