Whitley Chapel Church of England First School, Hexham
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Hexham. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. It was 56% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School in detail
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gymnastics, drama, Lego, cooking and forest school.
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Whitley Chapel Church of England First School
For September 2026 entry, 4 families put Whitley Chapel Church of England First School as their first choice and 5 named it as one of their preferences, for 4 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 Whitley Chapel Church of England First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Whitley Chapel Church of England First School are Slaley First School (3 miles, Good); Hexham First School (3.7 miles, Good); St Mary's Catholic First School, Hexham (3.8 miles, Good); and The Sele First School (4 miles, Good).
Slaley First SchoolHexham First SchoolSt Mary's Catholic First School, HexhamThe Sele First School
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Whitley Chapel Church of England First School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
7.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 7 pupils (25%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 5 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 Whitley Chapel Church of England First School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (adjacent), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2014, 12 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a caring, inclusive school where children thrive academically and socially. Pupils develop strong reading skills from Reception onwards and gain confidence in mathematics and computing. Staff know pupils well, and the school creates an environment where all children feel safe, supported and valued as part of a close-knit community.
Key Strengths
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with effective sequencing helping pupils build knowledge over time - particularly strong in reading, mathematics and computing
- Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour and attitudes, living out school values of respect, resilience and responsibility
- Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are well supported with timely advice from professionals
- Strong inclusive culture where older pupils are positive role models and support younger pupils
- High pupil attendance with pupils eager to come to school
Areas for Improvement
- Learning activities in mixed-age classes do not always provide sufficient challenge for older pupils to deepen and connect their knowledge
- Governors' monitoring of school performance needs development - they lack clear understanding of the school's progress and areas for improvement
- Governors need to be more consistent in holding the school to account
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders prioritising pupil safety and well-being.
Extracurricular Activities
Drama club, dance club, board games club, mindfulness club, school visits, overnight residential visits, breakfast club
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School is a welcoming village school where pupils are proud to be part of the community and behave well. The school maintains high expectations for pupils and provides a broad, ambitious curriculum with effective support for all learners.
At a Glance
7.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
9.3
Avg class size
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Whitley Chapel Church of England First School
Newsletter 04.09.26
4 Sep 2026
Newsletter 10.07.26
10 Jul 2026
Newsletter 03.07.26
3 Jul 2026
Newsletter 26.06.26
26 Jun 2026
Newsletter 19.6.26
19 Jun 2026
From Whitley Chapel Church of England First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Whitley Chapel Church of England First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whitley Chapel Church of England First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitley Chapel Church of England 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Whitley Chapel Church of England First School
Will you get a place at Whitley Chapel Church of England First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Whitley Chapel Church of England First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Whitley Chapel Church of England First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Whitley Chapel Church of England 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 Whitley Chapel Church of England 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
56%
Available places
28 pupils
50 places
22 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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
25.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
28
Total Pupils
15
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
4.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,716
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£11,709
Per pupil
£335k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
15.4%
Persistent absence
26
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Whitley Chapel Church of England First School
What is Whitley Chapel Church of England First School's Ofsted rating?
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
No fixed boundary. When Whitley Chapel Church of England 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 Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 56% of its 50 places.
How big are the classes at Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
Classes at Whitley Chapel Church of England First School average 9.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School has around 28 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Whitley Chapel Church of England First School in 2024/25. 15.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Whitley Chapel Church of England 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 Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Whitley Chapel Church of England First School?
Whitley Chapel Church of England First School is at Leazes Lane, Whitley Chapel, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 0HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)