St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
Hencotes, Hexham, NE46 2EE
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Trust
- BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
- Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Oakes
- Diocese
- Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
- Sponsor
- Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust
- Constituency
- Hexham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 150
- Pupils on roll
- 81
- URN
- 148261
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01434603791
About this school
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is a Roman Catholic primary academy in Hexham. It teaches children aged 4 to 9 and has 81 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 109 |
| 2023/24 | 98 |
| 2024/25 | 92 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham compares
Its absence rate was lower than 91% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 3.7% | 18.5% | 81 | — |
| The Sele First School | — | 5% | 13.5% | 390 | 0.2 miles |
| Hexham First School | — | 5.1% | 35.2% | 68 | 0.7 miles |
| Acomb First School | — | 4.3% | 18.5% | 58 | 1.7 miles |
| Beaufront First School | — | 4.2% | 1.5% | 62 | 2.2 miles |
| Whitley Chapel Church of England First School | — | 5.4% | 11.5% | 28 | 3.8 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 11 July 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report12 November 2019
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 18.48%
- English as an additional language
- 8.7%
- Overall absence
- 3.66%
- Persistent absence
- 6.41%
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Sele First School0.2 miles
Primary · Hexham
-
Hexham First School0.7 miles
Primary · Hexham
-
Acomb First School1.7 miles
Primary · Hexham
-
Beaufront First School2.2 miles
Primary · Hexham
-
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School3.8 miles
Primary · Hexham
Other schools in Hexham
- Acomb First School Primary
- Beaufront First School Primary
- Bellingham Primary School Primary
- Chollerton Church of England Aided First School Primary
- Greenhaugh Primary School Primary
- Henshaw Church of England Primary School Primary
- Hexham First School Primary
- Humshaugh Church of England First School Primary
- Kielder Primary School and Nursery Primary
- Newbrough Church of England Primary School Primary
- Shaftoe Trust Academy Primary
- The Sele First School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham teach?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham teaches children aged 4 to 9. It is a primary school in Hexham.
- Who is the executive headteacher of St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
- The executive headteacher of St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is Mrs Sarah Oakes, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham has 81 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 9.
- Is St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham full?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham has capacity for 150 pupils and 81 on roll (54%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham a faith school?
- Yes. St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is designated Roman Catholic, in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.
- Does St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham as having no nursery classes.
- Is St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham part of an academy trust?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is part of BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham's absence rate?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham's overall absence rate is 3.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.