Parkside Academy

Parkside Academy has received a 'Good' grading across all inspection categories in its first inspection since becoming an academy. The school demonstrates a commitment to providing a positive educational environment, where pupils feel happy and safe due to strong relationships established by staff. The curriculum is carefully designed and sequenced, particularly in core subjects like history, which fosters positive outcomes for many students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some pupils struggle to apply their knowledge in various contexts, highlighting a need for improvement in this area.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from warm and positive relationships with staff.
• The school emphasizes the quality of education and personal development.
• High expectations for pupil behaviour lead to a calm and purposeful school environment.
• Effective support for SEND pupils enhances their learning experience.
• Leaders place a high priority on reading, employing well-trained staff for phonics intervention.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils find it hard to apply and connect their curriculum knowledge in different contexts.
• Many students do not fully engage with personal development opportunities offered by the school.

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 Parkside Academy attended 88.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.1% 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, 10.0% of pupils at Parkside Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 Parkside Academy had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.8% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Parkside Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% 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 Parkside Academy received £9,245 and spent £9,018 for each of its 883 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,379,000 (£1,562 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of Advance Learning Partnership, income was £8,477 and spending £8,506 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 Crook · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Parkside Academy is part of Advance Learning Partnership, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Hunwick Primary School Crook
• Howden-le-Wear Primary School Crook
• Hartside Primary Academy Crook
• Peases West Academy Crook
• Whitworth Park Academy Spennymoor
• Middlestone Moor Academy Durham
• Bishop Barrington Academy Bishop Auckland
• Brandon Primary Academy Durham
• Witton-le-Wear Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Woodhouse Primary Academy Bishop Auckland

What is Parkside Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Parkside Academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

When was Parkside Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Parkside Academy was last inspected in October 2023.

How many pupils does Parkside Academy have?

Parkside Academy has 833 pupils on roll.

What age range does Parkside Academy cover?

Parkside Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Parkside Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.0, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Parkside Academy?

Parkside Academy is at Hall Lane Estate, Willington, Crook, County Durham, DL15 0QF.