Hesleden Primary School, Hartlepool

Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades Hesleden Primary School on 7 areas: 1 expected standard and 6 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. "The school promotes the importance of high attendance."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils have gaps in their foundational knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The school has not developed effective ways to check on pupils' learning, across the curriculum."

Early years - Needs attention. "In the early years, children do not benefit from sufficient opportunities to explore new language and learning."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Over time, support to address pupils' barriers to learning has not been effective enough."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "The school has recently been through a period of disruption which has impacted negatively on the school's provision in some areas."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Pupils do not have secure knowledge of important aspects of their personal development programme."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are consistently and quickly identified so that the appropriate support can be put in place quickly, drawing on the support of outside agencies, where required. • Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is adapted more closely to meet the needs of pupils with SEND so that they secure the foundational knowledge they need. • Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment accurately to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge, so that pupils' understanding across the curriculum deepens and they remember more of what they have been taught. • Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a stronger understanding of fundamental British values and of the many different faiths and world views that exist in modern Britain. • Leaders should ensure that all children in the early years benefit from high-quality adult interactions, so that the opportunities they get to practise and learn new vocabulary and language are maximised. • Leaders should ensure that the tasks children complete in the early years appropriately challenge them and help them to gain new skills, as they learn and develop. • Leaders should implement a well-planned and evidence-informed professional learning programme for staff so that they have the skills and knowledge they need to adapt the curriculum more effectively for pupils with SEND".

In its own words: "You can see how we run our school, including our Ethos, current staffing structure, governing body and our school policies. You can find details of how we are performing by viewing or downloading our Ofsted Reports and Performance Tables."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include choir and maths club.

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:40am and after-school care.

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Hesleden Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 58% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in County Durham and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 89% in reading and 89% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 7 families put Hesleden Primary School as their first choice and 9 named it as one of their preferences, for 7 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Hesleden Primary School are Blackhall Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 87% reading, 87% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall (1.2 miles, 85% reading, 85% maths); Dene House Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 78% reading, 74% maths); and Yohden Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 62% reading, 62% maths).

Hesleden Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hesleden Primary School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (89%).

0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 9 pupils (10.6%) received SEN support and 3 (3.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.

Hesleden Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Horden, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (s-bound), 50 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84).

In 2024/25, Hesleden Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Hesleden Primary School are Dene Academy (1.5 miles) and The Academy at Shotton Hall (1.8 miles).