St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham

About St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham

St Joseph's Catholic Middle School, Hexham, sits within Northumberland's secondary landscape as a Roman Catholic state school for pupils aged 9 to 13. Among the 27 secondary schools in the local authority, it operates in a context where only two hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school's local peers, ranked by performance, include The King Edward VI School, Ashington Academy, and Queen Elizabeth High School. St Joseph's itself has maintained a Good rating across its recent inspections, with its most recent ungraded inspection in October 2023 confirming that the school remains Good. The school is led by headteacher Nicholas Wood and serves a relatively small cohort of 179 pupils against a capacity of 360, suggesting it is significantly undersubscribed. A quarter of its pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and reflects the school's inclusive intake within the Hexham area.

Academically, the school's most recent graded inspection took place in February 2015, where it received a Good overall effectiveness rating, with leadership and management also judged Good. The previous graded inspection in 2011 similarly rated the school Good. While specific Progress 8 or Key Stage 2 SATs data is not available in the school's records, the local authority average Progress 8 score for secondary schools sits at -0.22, which provides a benchmark for comparison. The school does not have a sixth form, so its academic focus is squarely on the middle years from Year 5 through Year 8. Given the absence of published exam results, parents may wish to request internal attainment data directly from the school. The Ofsted report from 2015 noted that pupils make good progress, and the school's sustained Good rating over more than a decade suggests consistent quality in teaching and leadership.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including an astro turf, sports hall, theatre, music rooms, art studios, and a chapel, reflecting its Catholic character. Sports provision is varied, with gymnastics, rugby, hockey, swimming, athletics, and even rowing and martial arts available. Clubs include Eco Club, Young Enterprise, Debate, Science Club, Orchestra, and Coding. For pupils with additional needs, the school supports a wide spectrum of SEND provisions, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. With a capacity of 360 but only 179 pupils on roll, the school is likely to have available places for families seeking a smaller, faith-based middle school environment. It will particularly suit Catholic families in the Hexham area who value a middle school model with strong pastoral and SEND support, and who prefer a school that is not oversubscribed.

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