Whittonstall First School, Consett
Whittonstall First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Consett, part of Cheviot Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. It was full in 2025, at 120% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- 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
Whittonstall First School in detail
Whittonstall First School in its own words
In its own words: "Our school is a real community school! The heart is centred in the values of love, tolerance, respect, equality and self worth. Our school is a family community. We value each person’s given gifts through sound educational practice of the highest quality. This means adapting to change whilst responding to the needs of today’s world."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am very proud to welcome you to Whittonstall First School. Our school has a strong family ethos and a wonderful community feel. Our staff work hard to making learning challenging yet fun, and seek to develop strong links between staff, parents, governors and the wider community."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Whittonstall First School
For September 2026 entry, 7 families put Whittonstall First School as their first choice and 18 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.
Admissions history and your chances at Whittonstall First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Whittonstall First School are Ebchester CofE Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 80% reading, 73% maths); Chopwell Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 72% reading, 88% maths); Shotley Bridge Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 76% reading, 75% maths); and Broomley First School (2.9 miles, Good).
Ebchester CofE Primary SchoolChopwell Primary SchoolShotley Bridge Primary SchoolBroomley First School
The trust
Whittonstall First School is one of 18 schools run by Cheviot Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
9% 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.
Staffing
Whittonstall First School had 5 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 Railway station, about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Anvil Court (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
Whittonstall First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
9.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
20.5
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Whittonstall First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whittonstall First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whittonstall 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Whittonstall First School
Will you get a place at Whittonstall First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Whittonstall First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Whittonstall First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Whittonstall 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 Whittonstall First School for 2020 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
120%
Over capacity
66 pupils
55 places
11 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Consett
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Consett
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
9
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
17.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
67
Total Pupils
34
Boys
33
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
13.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,576
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,221
Per pupil
£499k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
14.3%
Persistent absence
56
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Whittonstall First School
What is Whittonstall First School's Ofsted rating?
Whittonstall First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022.
What is the catchment area for Whittonstall First School?
No fixed boundary. When Whittonstall 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 Whittonstall First School?
Whittonstall First School was full in 2025, at 120% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Whittonstall First School?
Classes at Whittonstall First School average 20.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Whittonstall First School?
Whittonstall First School has around 67 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Whittonstall First School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Whittonstall First School in 2024/25. 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whittonstall First School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Whittonstall 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 Whittonstall First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Whittonstall First School?
Whittonstall First School is at Whittonstall, Consett, County Durham, DH8 9JN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)