Haydon Bridge High School, Hexham

Requires Improvement
Secondary
Foundation school
Mixed
Ages 1118

Data last updated 12 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms Kath Pigdon
Pupils:392 / 904 capacity
LA:Northumberland
Phone:01434684422
Address:Haydon Bridge, Hexham, NE47 6LR
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 January 1900

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Needs Attention
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Needs Attention
Sixth Form
Expected Standard
Inspected 20 January 2026View full report
URN:122328
UKPRN:10002946
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Hexham
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school has a clear focus on improving teaching quality and has provided staff with training in effective classroom practices. Attendance and behaviour support strategies are showing positive results, particularly for younger pupils in Years 7 and 8. The school works well with external partners and actively listens to staff, parents and pupils when developing new policies.

Key Strengths

  • Teaching quality has improved with staff training in effective pedagogy and a new research-based teaching model
  • Attendance work is having positive impact, with persistent absence declining and good attendance in Years 7 and 8
  • School leaders have acted robustly in response to previous inspection findings and involved staff, parents and pupils in developing policies
  • Governors provide active support and strategic oversight
  • Good engagement with external partners including local authority and multi-academy trust

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching consistency still needs improvement across all subjects so pupils can reach their academic potential
  • Suspension rates remain high despite some improvement, driven by persistent disruptive behaviour from a minority of pupils
  • Attendance still requires further improvement beyond current progress
  • School needs more rigorous school improvement planning, monitoring and evaluation to sustain and accelerate improvements

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective - the inspector reviewed safeguarding records including the single central record and found no concerns.

Haydon Bridge High School has made progress to improve since the previous inspection, with better teaching quality and improved curriculum adaptation. However, some aspects of the school still need further improvement, particularly in consistency of teaching and managing disruptive behaviour.

At a Glance

29.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

21.9

Avg class size

18

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Railway station (west entrance)
299m · 5 min walk
Haydon Bridge Rail Station
333m · 5 min walk

Bus Stops

High School (adj)
112m · 2 min walk
Innerhaugh Mews (Opp)
387m · 6 min walk
Community centre (adj)
395m · 6 min walk
Community Centre (opp)
404m · 7 min walk
Anchor Hotel (o/s)
577m · 9 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

43%

Available places

392 pupils

904 capacity

512 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Hexham

Low pressure
New homes approved:904
Projected new pupils:163

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Hexham

Admissions Demand - Northumberland

Low demand0.88x oversubscription

Places available

1,986

Applications

1,744

Got 1st preference

96.1%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Secondary admissions across Northumberland (2025/26)

Inspection History(19)

20 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Sixth Form
2 July 2025
27 February 2024
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentRequires Improvement
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Sixth FormGood

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

12.64215%

Overall absence

34.45596%

Persistent absence

386

Enrolments

Authorised7.48834%
Unauthorised5.15381%
Persistent (10%+)34.45596%
Severe (50%+)6.47668%

Absence trend

4.85517%
18/19
6.5045%
20/21
8.76406%
21/22
9.81528%
22/23
12.29303%
23/24
12.64215%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Feeder Primary Schools

Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.