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Schools across Northumberland

Local authority · 175 schools across 33 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Northumberland →

Schools in Northumberland (175)

Showing 20 of 175 schools

Total Schools

175

127 primary · 26 secondary

Total Pupils

43,186

82% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

55

5 outstanding · 50 good

Capacity

52,860

9,674 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

50
118
Outstanding: 5
Good: 50
Requires Improvement: 2
Not inspected: 118

Best Schools in Northumberland

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

31.8

GCSE Eng+Maths

27.8%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

78% full
20,139 pupils25,771 capacity

5,632 spare places

Secondary Schools

82% full
18,731 pupils22,810 capacity

4,079 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.1%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

14.2%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

155

2024/25

Absence trend across Northumberland schools

4.7%
18/19
4.6%
20/21
7.1%
21/22
6.5%
22/23
6.7%
23/24
6.1%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

81%

Plans Issued

561

Assessment Requests

923

Tribunal Cases

11

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

80%
2019
86%
2020
80%
2021
66%
2022
41%
2023
47%
2024
81%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

3,301 admissions

41

Lodged

(1.2%)

24

Heard

7

Successful

(29%)

Primary (infant classes)

3,006 admissions

3

Lodged

(0.1%)

3

Heard

3

Successful

(100%)

Secondary

4,354 admissions

73

Lodged

(1.7%)

54

Heard

21

Successful

(39%)

Total

7,655 admissions

114

Lodged

(1.5%)

78

Heard

28

Successful

(36%)

Total appeals lodged per year

171
2019
337
2020
483
2021
474
2022
413
2023
342
2024
378
2025
231
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Northumberland

Morpeth

31 schools

Hexham

22 schools

Cramlington

14 schools

Berwick-upon-Tweed

14 schools

Blyth

12 schools

Alnwick

11 schools

Ashington

10 schools

Prudhoe

8 schools

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

8 schools

Bedlington

8 schools

Whitley Bay

6 schools

Choppington

5 schools

Stocksfield

3 schools

Corbridge

3 schools

Ponteland

2 schools

Consett

1 schools

Seahouses

1 schools

Netherton Colliery

1 schools

MORPETH

1 schools

Belford

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Northumberland

How many schools are there in Northumberland?

Northumberland has 175 open schools: 127 state primary, 28 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 16 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Northumberland are rated Outstanding?

14 schools in Northumberland were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Darras Hall Primary School, Horton Grange Primary School, Haltwhistle Primary Academy, Malvin's Close Academy, Croftway Academy and 9 more. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 145 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.

Darras Hall Primary SchoolHorton Grange Primary SchoolHaltwhistle Primary AcademyMalvin's Close AcademyCroftway Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Northumberland get the best GCSE results?

Of the 20 schools in Northumberland with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Ponteland High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.4 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The King Edward VI School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.1 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Queen Elizabeth High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.4 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Ponteland High SchoolThe King Edward VI SchoolQueen Elizabeth High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Northumberland have the best SATs results?

Of the 58 primary schools in Northumberland with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, Prudhoe (100% in reading, 94% in maths); Belsay Primary School (93% in reading, 93% in maths); and St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington (87% in reading, 97% 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.

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, PrudhoeBelsay Primary SchoolSt Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Northumberland?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Northumberland have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Northumberland 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 Northumberland?

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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables