Whitburn Church of England Academy

Whitburn Church of England Academy has demonstrated overall good performance with notable strengths in personal development, which is deemed outstanding. Pupils exhibit a strong sense of belonging and feel safe within the school environment, supported by excellent relationships with staff and a robust leadership approach led by the principal. However, while many aspects of teaching are praised, there are concerns regarding the curriculum’s ability to challenge more able pupils and adequately support those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school, not previously inspected, is navigating some financial difficulties but shows promise for improvement under new leadership.

Strengths

• Strong pupil-staff relationships foster a sense of belonging.
• Teachers demonstrate subject expertise and teach with enthusiasm.
• Pupils display impeccable behavior and maturity.
• Outstanding personal development curriculum helps build character.
• Sixth-form students are excellent role models and engage in societies.

Areas for Improvement

• Challenges exist in effectively adapting lessons for SEND students.
• Many pupils' progress has declined, particularly for disadvantaged students.
• Key stage 3 curriculum planning is variable and lacks consistency.
• Governors have not held leaders accountable enough for pupil progress.
• There is a decrease in students opting for the English Baccalaureate subjects.

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 Whitburn Church of England Academy attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.9% 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, 8.3% of pupils at Whitburn Church of England Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 7 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 Whitburn Church of England Academy had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.9% 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, 15.5% of pupils at Whitburn Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 Whitburn Church of England Academy received £7,579 and spent £7,541 for each of its 1,206 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £28,000 (-£23 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 Sunderland · South Tyneside local authority: places and applications

What is Whitburn Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitburn Church of England Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Whitburn Church of England Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitburn Church of England Academy was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Whitburn Church of England Academy have?

Whitburn Church of England Academy has 1,204 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitburn Church of England Academy cover?

Whitburn Church of England Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Whitburn Church of England Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.0, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Whitburn Church of England Academy?

Whitburn Church of England Academy is at Whitburn, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR6 7EF.