The King's Academy

The King's Academy is a large secondary school within the Emmanuel Schools Foundation, with a new principal appointed following a period of turbulence. Inspectors found a school built on kindness, belonging and high expectations, where safeguarding standards are met. Strengths include improved attendance and behaviour, strong inclusion with three specialist SEND provisions, effective leadership and governance, a well-regarded personal development programme, and a post-16 provision that is broadly in line with national averages. Pupils feel safe, known and supported, and staff are committed to the school's vision. However, achievement and curriculum/teaching need attention. Outcomes at the end of Year 11 have declined over recent years, with fewer pupils reaching secure grades in English and maths. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not catch up quickly enough, and some pupils with weaker reading or number skills continue to struggle, while others who start with secure understanding do not achieve the high grades they are capable of. Teaching is mixed, with some lessons lacking focus, assessment not always used well to address misconceptions, and pupils sometimes moving on before they are secure. Some pupils also find it difficult to recall key ideas and use subject language confidently. Leaders understand the reasons for the decline and have introduced appropriate strategies, including improvements to attendance and a reshaping of teaching. Current pupils are showing better achievement in lessons. The next steps focus on embedding systematic retrieval, explicit vocabulary teaching and precise checking of understanding so that pupils secure the knowledge they need. Leaders also need to ensure curriculum improvements lead to better outcomes across all subjects and pupil groups, and to strengthen the consistency of behaviour expectations and support. Post-16 provision has clear direction, though a small number of subject areas underperform and leaders are working to improve consistency.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture.
• Attendance has risen for all groups, including SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and persistent absence has fallen.
• Behaviour is calm and respectful, with lessons typically free from disruption.
• Bullying is not common and staff deal with it effectively.
• Inclusion is at the heart of the school, with early identification of needs and strong support.
• Three on-site specialist SEND provisions for hearing impairment, vision impairment and higher learning needs.
• Leaders have established a new culture built on belonging, inclusion and high expectations.
• Staff workload is manageable and early career teachers value high-quality mentoring.
• Governors and trustees know the school well and provide effective challenge and support.
• Personal development programme is valued by pupils, with a wide range of cultural and spiritual experiences.
• Careers education contributes significantly to pupils' motivation and ambition.
• Post-16 provision has clear direction, with outcomes in line with national averages and high-quality careers education.
• Pupils feel safe, known and supported, and benefit from strong pastoral care.

Areas for Improvement

• Outcomes in national assessments at the end of Year 11 have declined and are not where they need to be.
• Fewer pupils reach secure grades in English and maths.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not catch up quickly enough.
• Some pupils with weaker reading or number skills continue to struggle.
• Some pupils who begin with secure understanding are not achieving the high grades they are capable of.
• Teaching is mixed in effectiveness, with some lessons lacking focus.
• Teachers do not always use assessment well enough to spot misconceptions.
• Some pupils move on before they are secure in their learning.
• Some pupils struggle to remember key ideas and use subject language with confidence.
• Some pupils wait for answers rather than thinking for themselves.
• Some pupils find reading and vocabulary difficult, which slows their progress.
• Leaders are working to strengthen support for the rising number of pupils with SEMH needs.
• Personal, social and health education training and quality assurance need strengthening.
• A small number of post-16 subject areas underperform.
• Overall absence and persistent absence remain above national averages, though improving.
• Next steps include embedding systematic retrieval, explicit vocabulary teaching and precise checking of understanding, improving outcomes across all subjects and pupil groups, and strengthening consistency of behaviour expectations and support.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The King's Academy attended 88.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 10.8% of pupils at The King's Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 12 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The King's Academy had 13.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.7% of pupils at The King's Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 9.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 61 pupils and resourced provision with 35 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The King's Academy received £9,061 and spent £8,847 for each of its 1,424 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £547,000 (£384 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Emmanuel Schools Foundation, income was £8,099 and spending £7,883 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Middlesbrough · Middlesbrough local authority: places and applications

The King's Academy is part of Emmanuel Schools Foundation, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Christ's College Sunderland
• Grace College Gateshead
• Bede Academy Blyth
• Trinity Academy Doncaster

What is The King's Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The King's Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The King's Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The King's Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The King's Academy have?

The King's Academy has 1,381 pupils on roll.

What age range does The King's Academy cover?

The King's Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The King's Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.9, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The King's Academy?

The King's Academy is at Stainton Way, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, TS8 0GA.