NCEA Duke's Secondary School
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-19 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Academy Road Ashington Northumberland NE63 9FZ |
| Phone | 01670816111 |
| Reference Number | 135886 |
Duke’s Secondary School is an inclusive and caring school where leaders have created a positive culture and strong support for pupils, including a growing number of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Safeguarding is met, and the school is judged to be meeting expected standards in inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing, and post-16 provision. Pupils feel safe, behaviour is calm and improving, and careers and personal development are strengths. The trust has supported leadership capacity, and leaders have taken appropriate steps to improve attendance and provision, though these areas remain works in progress. However, pupils’ achievement is not yet good enough. Published outcomes at the end of key stage 4 are below national averages, disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes are notably lower, and teaching is variable—especially in checking understanding and adapting work to close gaps. Attendance has been too low for too long, although recent improvements are evident. The sixth form is closing in August 2026, but current post-16 provision is broad and students are well prepared for next steps. Overall, leaders know the priorities: strengthen assessment-informed teaching and continue improving attendance.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 980 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 48.37%
Girls: 51.63% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 50.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 4.1% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 18.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 99 | 94 | 193 |
| 8 | 95 | 99 | 194 |
| 9 | 79 | 108 | 187 |
| 10 | 100 | 86 | 186 |
| 11 | 85 | 92 | 177 |
| 12 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 13 | 16 | 27 | 43 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 93.4% |
| African | 2.7% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.5% |
| White, Other | 0.4% |
| Indian | 0.4% |
| Unclassified | 0.3% |
| Asian, Other | 0.3% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.2% |
| White & Asian | 0.2% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.2% |
| Pakistani | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Needs attention |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Post-16 Provision | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 28 Apr 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 28 Apr 2026 | School inspection |
| 13 Nov 2024 | Monitoring visit |
| 06 Jun 2023 | School inspection |
| 20 Jan 2022 | Monitoring visit |
| 27 Jan 2021 | Monitoring visit |
| 20 Oct 2020 | Monitoring visit |
| 03 Mar 2020 | School inspection |
| 17 Dec 2018 | Monitoring visit |
| 14 Nov 2017 | Full inspection |
| 29 Sep 2015 | Full inspection |
| 03 Feb 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 22 Oct 2013 | Full inspection |
| 10 May 2012 | Full inspection |
| 11 May 2011 | Monitoring visit |
Strengths
- Inclusive and welcoming culture that supports vulnerable pupils
- Clear, values-driven leadership and effective governance
- Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
- Well-designed personal development and PSHE programme
- Effective careers education with positive destinations
- Calm, positive behaviour and improving consistency
- Broad post-16 offer despite planned closure
- Well-considered staff development programme
Areas for Improvement
- KS4 attainment and progress are below national averages
- Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are lower than national, with wide gaps
- Teaching is variable, with inconsistent checks on pupil understanding
- Pupils develop gaps and misconceptions because teaching does not always adapt
- Attendance has been too low for too long, despite recent improvements
- Persistent absence remains well above national average
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2022. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school. | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school. | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24 |
| 3. The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. | 14 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 4. My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively. | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 5. The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. | 15 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| 6. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. | 7 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 7. My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed. | ||||||
| 8. The school has high expectations for my child. | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 24 |
| 9. My child does well at this school. | 16 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| 10. The school lets me know how my child is doing. | 10 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| 11. There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school. | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 24 |
| 12. My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school. | 13 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| 13. The school supports my child’s wider personal development. | 11 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| 14. I would recommend this school to another parent. | 21 | 3 |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 32 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 20.7% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 35.6% |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 26.21 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 33.33 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | C- | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 0% |
Unlock Premium
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Unlock for £9.992018 Admissions
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 16 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 3 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock2026 Admissions
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 35 | 1 |
| Third Preference | 8 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
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