School Chooser

St Helen's Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy268 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubHartlepool
School Chooser Score
89
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 76 to 96, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 96% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1181%England 63%
Attendance95.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families52%Far more than most schools
Places106 spare268 pupils, 374 places
Pupils per teacher16.8School workforce census
Pupils on roll268Census January 2026

St Helen's Primary School is a converter academy in Hartlepool for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 268 pupils and room for 374. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 89 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 96% of the 50 schools most like it.

Durham Street, Hartlepool, TS24 0HG01429 267038sthelensprimaryschool.co.ukMr Marcus Newing headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

31 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1181%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 49%49%20172018: 82%82%20182019: 81%81%20192023: 79%79%20232024: 76%76%20242025: 81%81%2025
Since 2017: +32%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†HartlepoolEngland
Pupils tested313343373941
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths81%76%79%81%82%49%69%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%15%0%14%8%7%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0108.0105.0108.0107.0100.0106.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0105.0104.0108.0106.0101.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0109.0106.0110.0109.0103.0105.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard94%88%88%86%92%54%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard87%76%81%84%90%66%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)87%82%79%81%82%71%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.2+3.5+2.9-2.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.4+2.8+2.4-1.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged75%73%71%68%74%35%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged91%82%100%100%94%73%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for St Helen's Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
75%91%
Gap 16 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
69%93%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
10%13%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places219 pupils for 349 places, 2024/25
63% full

130 places were empty (37% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (28 offers for 45 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary453928all offeredLA
2025 Primary453725all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll268Census January 2026
Places37472% full
Pupils from low-income families46%52% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%45 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%17 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.04 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)54%£182,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls132 / 136
White British pupils88%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 19 pupils, for autism.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Hartlepool with autism provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (17), language and communications needs (17), emotional and mental health (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), Physical disability (4), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll268270264265
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals46%44%48%48%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%9%6%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%17%23%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.7%5.3%6.0%6.1%4.9%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.5%4.0%4.5%4.0%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%1.8%2.1%1.6%0.9%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.6%10.9%17.1%17.7%11.8%6.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.40.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions000

† These attendance figures are for St Helen's Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers15.0full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher16.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants21.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,565
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.72024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,512England £7,128. Total £2.1m
Income per pupil£9,063England £7,587. Total £2.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,754England £3,405
Money in reserve20%A healthy amount put by: £449k, £1,784 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£139kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,512spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m14612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate158 per 1,000 people73% higher than the England average
Typical house price£155,000Hartlepool
Nearest bus stop50 mSt Helen's Primary School, 9 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Bega's Catholic Primary School, HartlepoolAcademy560 m151No overall grade 202569Compare
Brougham Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles343No overall grade 202453Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, HartlepoolAcademy1.5 miles78Good 202352Compare
Ward Jackson Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles113Report card 20268Compare
Lynnfield Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles323Good 2023Compare
West View Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles460Good 202326Compare
Jesmond Gardens Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles355Good 202439Compare
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, HartlepoolAcademy1.9 miles336Good 202385Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Helen's Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats96%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 89 is 62 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 27 · highest 93100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 89 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 89% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 76 to 96. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 31 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.01
DfE progress measure; 31 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.24
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.04
2024/25; 198 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.28
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 31 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is St Helen's Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Helen's Primary School scores 89 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 96% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 76 to 96, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

How good are St Helen's Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 81% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Helen's Primary School have?

268 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 374 places, so it is 72% full.

Is St Helen's Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 130 places were empty in 2024/25 (37% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Helen's Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Helen's Primary School?

The average class had 24.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does St Helen's Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does St Helen's Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Durham Street, Hartlepool, TS24 0HG
Telephone
01429 267038
Website
www.sthelensprimaryschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Marcus Newing
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Northern Lights Learning Trust (12 schools)
Local authority
Hartlepool
Ward
Headland & Harbour
Constituency
Hartlepool
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2022 (academy converter)
URN
148986 · LAESTAB 8052211 · UKPRN 10090169
Formerly
St Helen's Primary School

Where these figures come from