Best Schools in Hexham

How many schools are there in Hexham?

Hexham has 22 open schools: 16 state primary, 5 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Hexham are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Hexham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Kielder Primary School and Nursery and Hexham Priory School. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 18 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Kielder Primary School and NurseryHexham Priory School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Hexham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Hexham with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Queen Elizabeth High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.4 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Haydon Bridge High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 40.5 and 30% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Queen Elizabeth High SchoolHaydon Bridge High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Hexham have the best SATs results?

Of the 3 primary schools in Hexham with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Wark Church of England Primary School (83% in reading, 83% in maths); Henshaw Church of England Primary School (78% in reading, 78% in maths); and Newbrough Church of England Primary School (50% in reading, 50% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Wark Church of England Primary SchoolHenshaw Church of England Primary SchoolNewbrough Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Hexham?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Hexham selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Hexham have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Hexham have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Hexham?

Apply to Northumberland through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.