Beaufront First School, Hexham

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Beaufront First School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils, including the very youngest children in the Reception and Nursery classes, attend this small school regularly."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders evaluate strengths and areas for development in the early years accurately."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders create a culture where all pupils are included."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils make a secure start in number formation, letter formation and spelling in the early years."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "In key stages 1 and 2, teachers' expectations of their pupils in writing and mathematics are not high enough."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "The school is experiencing a period of instability in governance."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should strengthen curriculum delivery in writing and raise teachers' expectations so that pupils spell accurately, form letters correctly and write fluently"; "Leaders should improve pupils' knowledge and skills in mathematics, including their quick recall of multiplication facts"; "Those responsible for governance should strengthen their knowledge and expertise so that they are well informed about the school's work, support leaders effectively and hold them to account".

In its own words: "We are a small school, with lots going on. Our staff are highly motivated, enthusiastic, caring and industrious and we pride ourselves on being a friendly, open school that offers a high quality education for all our children."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care until 4:30pm.

For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Beaufront First School as their first choice and 32 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Beaufront First School are Acomb First School (1.4 miles, Good); Hexham First School (1.9 miles, Good); The Sele First School (2.1 miles, Good); and St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham (2.2 miles, Good).

1.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

Beaufront First School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Hexham Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Beaufront First School (near), 30 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).

In 2024/25, Beaufront First School issued 2 suspensions, 3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.