Bellingham Primary School, Hexham
Bellingham Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 8 in Hexham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. It was 68% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Bellingham Primary School in detail
Bellingham Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Bellingham Primary School is a school for children from Reception to Year 4, after which, our pupils move to our sister school, Bellingham Middle School . Our school is situated on the edge of the village of Bellingham, and welcomes children from across the North Tyne and Redesdale area into our friendly and nurturing environment."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to Bellingham Primary School as the Executive Headteacher for the Bellingham Partnership of Schools, a key part of this close-knit community in rural Northumberland. Our school is built on strong foundations and shared values: kindness, courage, respect and excellence."
The school runs after-school care until 5:00pm.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Bellingham Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 8 families put Bellingham Primary School as their first choice, for 8 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Bellingham Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bellingham Primary School are Wark Church of England Primary School (4.1 miles, 83% reading, 83% maths); and Greenhaugh Primary School (4.1 miles, Good).
Wark Church of England Primary SchoolGreenhaugh Primary School
What parents say
14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bellingham Primary School (as of September 2025): 71% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 25% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (25%).
Who goes there
7.8% 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.
Staffing
Bellingham Primary School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Bellingham Primary School.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heritage Centre (adjacent), 300 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bellingham Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 5.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bellingham Primary creates a warm, nurturing environment where children feel safe, happy and eager to learn. The school excels at teaching reading through structured phonics and provides excellent support for all learners, including those with additional needs. Pupils benefit from enriching experiences like visits to Newcastle and museums, plus a range of clubs, alongside learning in the school's extensive outdoor grounds.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading with structured phonics teaching and matched books that help pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND who are identified quickly and successfully progress through the curriculum
- Well-designed Reception curriculum with an art studio and outdoor learning that promotes creativity and language development
- Positive pupil attitudes with much improved attendance and good behaviour in lessons and social times
- Clear vision and leadership with governors holding leaders to account and staff feeling proud to work at the school
Areas for Improvement
- Some foundation subjects have recent curriculum changes that need more time to embed, meaning pupils do not yet develop the same depth of knowledge
- Early stage oversight of how well the new curriculum is being implemented, so the school does not yet fully understand how well pupils are learning in each subject
- Staff need further support to effectively deliver the revised curriculum in some subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Construction club, cheerleading, French club, sporting tournaments, educational visits to theatre and museum, den building, outdoor learning
Bellingham Primary School is a rural village school where pupils are proud to be part of a nurturing community built on values of kindness, respect, courage and excellence. The school has worked hard to develop an ambitious curriculum and create a culture where reading is celebrated and pupils thrive.
At a Glance
7.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
14 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
16.0
Avg class size
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Bellingham Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bellingham Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bellingham Primary School is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bellingham Primary School
Will you get a place at Bellingham Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bellingham Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bellingham Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bellingham Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bellingham Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Northumberland got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
68%
Available places
71 pupils
105 places
34 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hexham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hexham
Across Northumberland council
Places available
3,735
Applications
2,569
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
15.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
64
Total Pupils
29
Boys
35
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
7.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,306
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,972
Per pupil
£549k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
8.9%
Persistent absence
56
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Bellingham Primary School
Questions parents ask about Bellingham Primary School
What is Bellingham Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bellingham Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bellingham Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bellingham Primary School is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bellingham Primary School?
Bellingham Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 68% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Bellingham Primary School?
Classes at Bellingham Primary School average 16 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bellingham Primary School?
Bellingham Primary School has around 64 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bellingham Primary School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Bellingham Primary School in 2024/25. 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bellingham Primary School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Bellingham Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Bellingham Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bellingham Primary School?
Bellingham Primary School is at Redesmouth Road, Hexham, Northumberland, NE48 2EL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)