North Durham Academy

North Durham Academy is a larger-than-average secondary school in a deprived area with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. It has undergone significant recent change, including a new headteacher and a change in trust arrangements. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils say they feel safe and have trusted adults to turn to. Leaders have created a carefully sequenced curriculum and have refined teaching so that explanations are clearer and understanding is checked more regularly. Inclusion and pastoral support are strengths, with staff knowing pupils well and adapting provision for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Behaviour is calm and respectful, personal development and enrichment are strong, and the careers programme and post-16 destinations have improved considerably. Leadership, governance and trust support are also effective. However, achievement remains a key concern. Key stage 4 attainment and progress are below national averages, particularly in English and mathematics, although some subjects and disadvantaged pupils are showing improvement. Attendance is improving but remains below national levels, and the most vulnerable pupils are not improving fast enough. Suspension levels remain high and continue to affect attendance. Leaders are taking appropriate action, with next steps focused on attendance, further improving curriculum and teaching to raise achievement, and extending older pupils’ knowledge of faiths and religions and all pupils’ oracy.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Curriculum is carefully sequenced, well structured and regularly reviewed.
• Teaching typically explains learning clearly and checks pupils’ understanding.
• Targeted reading, writing and mathematics support is carefully monitored and adjusted.
• Pupils with SEND benefit from adapted teaching and well-targeted staff training.
• High-quality pastoral care supports vulnerable and anxious pupils well.
• Behaviour is calm, purposeful and respectful, with positive staff-pupil relationships.
• Pupils feel safe and say bullying and unkind language are rare.
• Personal development covers online safety, healthy lifestyles and relationships.
• A wide range of enrichment, clubs, trips and productions broadens pupils’ horizons.
• Careers education is progressive and includes workplace experiences and employer links.
• Destinations in education, training or employment have improved significantly.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities.
• Governors and trustees understand their roles and hold leaders to account.
• Staff workload is considered and staff feel supported by leaders.
• Alternative provision is used appropriately and monitored regularly.

Areas for Improvement

• Key stage 4 attainment and Progress 8 remain below national averages.
• Achievement remains uneven and is low in English and mathematics.
• Attendance remains below national averages.
• Attendance for the most vulnerable pupils is not improving fast enough.
• Suspension levels remain high and affect attendance, including for vulnerable pupils.
• Some pupil support plans could be more concise and focused.
• Some improvement targets could be more precise.
• Older pupils’ knowledge of faiths and religions needs further development.
• Pupils’ oracy skills need further development.
• Curriculum and teaching have been uneven over time, limiting some pupils’ opportunities.

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 North Durham Academy attended 87.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 36.8% 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, 16.7% of pupils at North Durham Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 13 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 North Durham Academy had 15.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.8% 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, 16.5% of pupils at North Durham Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.2% 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 North Durham Academy received £9,691 and spent £8,984 for each of its 977 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,198,000 (£1,226 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Connect Multi-Academy Trust, income was £9,020 and spending £8,455 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 Stanley · County Durham local authority: places and applications

North Durham Academy is part of Connect Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Beamish Primary School Stanley
• Catchgate Primary School Stanley
• Pelton Community Primary School Chester Le Street
• Consett Academy Consett
• Castleside Primary School Consett
• Wellfield School Wingate
• Wingate Primary School Wingate

What is North Durham Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for North Durham Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was North Durham Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

North Durham Academy was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does North Durham Academy have?

North Durham Academy has 935 pupils on roll.

What age range does North Durham Academy cover?

North Durham Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are North Durham Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.9, and 27% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is North Durham Academy?

North Durham Academy is at High Street, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 0TW.