St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham, Hexham
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Hexham, part of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. It was 63% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham in detail
Getting a place at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham as their first choice and 24 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham are The Sele First School (0.2 miles, Good); Hexham First School (0.7 miles, Good); Acomb First School (1.7 miles, Good); and Beaufront First School (2.2 miles, Good).
The Sele First SchoolHexham First SchoolAcomb First SchoolBeaufront First School
The trust
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is one of 47 schools run by Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
4.9% 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 Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 5 pupils (6.2%) received SEN support and 4 (4.9%) 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.
Staffing
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hexham Station, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Monument (near), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 92 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham are Hexham Middle School (0.3 miles); St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham (0.5 miles); and Queen Elizabeth High School (0.5 miles).
Hexham Middle SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Middle School, HexhamQueen Elizabeth High School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
24.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
16.2
Avg class size
15.7
Infant (KS1)
17.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
4 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 Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
Will you get a place at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham for 2021 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
63%
Available places
94 pupils
150 places
56 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
11.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
81
Total Pupils
41
Boys
40
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
11.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,247
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,065
Per pupil
£633k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
6.4%
Persistent absence
78
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 Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham
What is St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham 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 Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham was not full in 2025: it ran at 63% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
Classes at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham average 16.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham has around 81 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
3.7% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham in 2024/25. 6.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham 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 St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 4 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 Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham is at Hencotes, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 2EE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)