Rothbury First School, Morpeth
Rothbury First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Morpeth. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 49% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Rothbury First School in detail
Getting a place at Rothbury First School
For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Rothbury First School as their first choice and 15 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 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 Rothbury First School
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rothbury First School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% 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 their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
2.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 17 pupils (18.1%) received SEN support and 2 (2.1%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Rothbury First 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 Rothbury First School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Queen's Head (outside), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often vehicle crime, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Rothbury First School issued 2 suspensions, 2.3 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are incredibly proud to attend this happy and vibrant school. The school's vision 'to be the best that you can be by doing the best that you can do' is lived out by all who are part of the Rothbury family. The school has the highest ambition for pupils, both in their learning and behaviour. Pupils rise to meet these expectations through consistently trying their best. Pupils are safe, happy and enjoy coming to school.
Pupils show interest and enthusiasm in their learning. Their behaviour is exemplary in lessons and during social times. Pupils demonstrate high levels of respect and kindness. They are thoughtful, well mannered and polite.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has based ambition for all at the centre of its curriculum thinking. It has carefully considered the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Subject curriculums are well designed to build pupils' knowledge in a well-ordered way. In most subjects, teachers deliver the curriculum with confidence. They provide pupils with many opportunities to revisit prior learning. Teachers check that pupils' knowledge is secure before they introduce new learning. They address pupils' misconceptions quickly.
The school has created a culture where reading is celebrated. Staff stimulate a love of reading across the school. From the Reception Year, children learn letter sounds and words in a structured and well-ordered way. As pupils develop their phonics knowledge, they are provided with books that match the sounds they know. Pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills to become confident, fluent readers. Those who struggle with learning to read are swiftly identified and extra support put in place to enable them to catch up quickly.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
21.5
Avg class size
14.0
Infant (KS1)
36.0
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Rothbury First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rothbury First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rothbury First 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Rothbury First School
Will you get a place at Rothbury First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Rothbury First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Rothbury First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Rothbury First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Rothbury First 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
49%
Available places
73 pupils
148 places
75 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Morpeth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Morpeth
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
17
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
20.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
94
Total Pupils
53
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
10.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,203
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,262
Per pupil
£573k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
8.8%
Persistent absence
57
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
Rothbury First School
Questions parents ask about Rothbury First School
What is Rothbury First School's Ofsted rating?
Rothbury First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Rothbury First School?
No fixed boundary. When Rothbury First 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 Rothbury First School?
Rothbury First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 49% of its 148 places.
How big are the classes at Rothbury First School?
Classes at Rothbury First School average 21.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Rothbury First School?
Rothbury First School has around 94 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Rothbury First School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Rothbury First School in 2024/25. 8.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rothbury First School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Rothbury First 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 Rothbury First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Rothbury First School?
Rothbury First School is at Addycombe, Rothbury, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 7PG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)