School profile

Queen Elizabeth High School

Secondary · Academy converter · Hexham, NE46 3JB

Good

Map showing Queen Elizabeth High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,066 of 3,312

Better than 67% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#360 of 2,536

Better than 85% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Queen Elizabeth High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 30 Apr 2024

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages13 to 18
Pupils1,299
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Katie Innes
TrustHADRIAN LEARNING TRUST
Local authorityNorthumberland
Opened01 Sept 2016
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 143291.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolNorthumberlandEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.49.4, better than England, better than Northumberland42.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.74.5%, better than England, better than Northumberland61%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.52.9%, better than England, better than Northumberland41.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.11.3%, worse than England, similar to Northumberland10.6%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths71.9%, better than England, better than Northumberland56.3%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4310--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolNorthumberlandEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.40.91, better than England, better than Northumberland34.2235
Average A-level gradeB--
Average points, best three A-levels42.13, better than England, better than Northumberland35.635.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB+--
AAB or better36.1%, better than England, better than Northumberland17.1%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0.17, better than England--
A-level progressAbove average, better than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study197--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,299
Girls610
Boys689
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.12.9%
First language not English2.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,391
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.6.6%
Sixth form places2024/25473
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.52
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.43
Average class size20.5

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
89.2%
Other White
2.8%
Other mixed
1.7%
White and Asian
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.5%
White and Black African
0.3%
Indian
0.3%
African
0.3%
Other Asian
0.2%
Chinese
0.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.6
Teachers (FTE)75.75
Teaching assistants (FTE)14.38
Support staff (FTE)62.74
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2580.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2570.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/258.3

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2018/19

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 9)Places offered on national offer day.270
Applications (Year 9)Includes every preference parents listed.304
First preference applications (Year 9)Families who put this school as their first choice.270
First preference offers (Year 9)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.269
Applications from another local authority (Year 9)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolNorthumberlandEngland
Overall absence8.8%, worse than England, similar to Northumberland8.5%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.20.4%, similar to England, similar to Northumberland21.7%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.5%, worse than England, worse than Northumberland3.7%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate21.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.96.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.88.6%
School sixth form60.3%
Further education27.4%
Apprenticeship4.9%
Employment2.6%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.2.3%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.86.3%
Higher education37.9%
Employment28.4%
Further education9.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.7.9%
Apprenticeship7.4%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Queen Elizabeth High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miMiddle deemed secondarySt Joseph's Catholic Middle School, HexhamAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimarySt Mary's Catholic First School, HexhamAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimaryThe Sele First SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miMiddle deemed secondaryHexham Middle SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryHexham First SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
1.8 miPrimaryAcomb First SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Queen Elizabeth High School

What is Queen Elizabeth High School's Ofsted rating?

Queen Elizabeth High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 30 Apr 2024.

How does Queen Elizabeth High School rank in England?

Queen Elizabeth High School ranks 1,066 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 67% of schools) and 360 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 85% of schools).

What are Queen Elizabeth High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 52.9% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 49.4 (England 46.2).

What are Queen Elizabeth High School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Queen Elizabeth High School was B, and 36.1% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Queen Elizabeth High School?

For Year 9 entry in 2018/19, Queen Elizabeth High School made 270 offers from 304 applications (1.1 per offer), and 269 of 270 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Queen Elizabeth High School?

Queen Elizabeth High School has 1,299 pupils aged 13 to 18.

What is the capacity of Queen Elizabeth High School?

Queen Elizabeth High School had 1,391 school places in 2024/25.

Does Queen Elizabeth High School have a sixth form?

Yes, Queen Elizabeth High School has a sixth form with 473 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Queen Elizabeth High School?

At Queen Elizabeth High School, the average class had 20.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Queen Elizabeth High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Queen Elizabeth High School missed 8.8% of sessions (England 8%), and 20.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.