St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington, Ashington
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ashington, part of Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 73 schools in Northumberland with published results, and 1,036th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington in detail
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington reached the expected standard in reading and 97% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 72% in Northumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (90% in reading, 93% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington are NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 52% reading, 48% maths); NCEA Bishop's Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 51% reading, 44% maths); Central Academy (0.6 miles); and NCEA James Knott CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, 83% reading, 83% maths).
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary SchoolNCEA Bishop's Primary SchoolCentral AcademyNCEA James Knott CofE Primary School
The trust
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington is one of 39 schools run by Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
43 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Asian (7%).
In 2026, 35 pupils (14.7%) received SEN support and 7 (2.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashington Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Benedict's Middle School (adjacent), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 6th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington issued 4 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington are NCEA Duke's Secondary School (0.3 miles) and Ashington Academy (1.1 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2022. Before that, as St Aidan's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School (URN 122307), it was rated Good in November 2021.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Aidan's is a warm, welcoming school where children are happy, well-behaved and kind to each other. Teachers have high expectations and the school achieves excellent results, particularly in key stage 2. The school offers strong support for pupils with additional needs and teaches children to be respectful, responsible citizens through community involvement.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well with key stage 2 results significantly above national average
- Broad and ambitious curriculum that helps pupils secure and apply knowledge
- New early reading programme helping pupils learn letter sounds systematically
- Strong safeguarding with caring adults who listen to pupils' worries
- Excellent behaviour and conduct with clear expectations and effective reward systems
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils lack foundational reading knowledge from previous phonics programme and cannot access current teaching
- Some staff need training to consistently support pupils with SEND and behaviour needs
- Inconsistent support for certain pupils means they do not always access the curriculum or manage behaviours effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with caring adults who listen to pupils' concerns and create a safe, welcoming environment.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, play leader roles, community events including singing at local supermarket, making cards for elderly residents, food bank support, breakfast club, after-school provision
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School is a happy, well-behaved school where pupils achieve highly, particularly by the end of key stage 2. The school has taken effective action to maintain good standards following recent leadership changes.
At a Glance
11.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
43 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 93% to 97% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
5
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington
St Aidan’s celebrates Sir David Attenborough.
14 May 2026
Earth Day 2026
23 Apr 2026
Animal antics!
24 Mar 2026
Early reading
24 Mar 2026
'Take yourself funny' for Red nose day 2026.
20 Mar 2026
World Book Day at St Aidan's
5 Mar 2026
From St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington.
- Active Future Bishops450m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington 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
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington
Will you get a place at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington:
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- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington for 2023 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
101%
Over capacity
213 pupils
210 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ashington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashington
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
17.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
238
Total Pupils
122
Boys
116
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
26.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,239
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,336
Per pupil
£1246k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
6.5%
Persistent absence
184
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
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington
Questions parents ask about St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington
What are SATs results like at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
Of the pupils at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 97% did so in maths.
What is St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington's Ofsted rating?
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2022. Before that, as St Aidan's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School (URN 122307), it was rated Good in November 2021.
What is the catchment area for St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
No fixed boundary. When St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
Classes at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington average 29.6 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 St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington has around 238 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington in 2024/25. 6.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington 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.
Does St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington: Active Future Bishops (450m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington?
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington is at Moorhouse Lane, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9LR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)