Southmoor Academy

Southmoor Academy continues to demonstrate a solid performance as a good school. The school fosters a welcoming and ambitious culture, emphasizing positive relationships between staff and pupils. With a well-structured curriculum that spans a broad range of subjects, students are well-prepared for future education and career opportunities. Notably, the school excels in providing effective careers guidance, ensuring that most pupils leave with a clear pathway for further study or employment. Furthermore, a strong focus on mental health and well-being is evident, with positive feedback from pupils regarding the support they receive.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between pupils and teachers.
• A comprehensive and well-structured curriculum.
• Effective careers guidance and support for future pathways.
• Robust personal development curriculum that promotes inclusion.
• Strong mental health support for pupils.
• High levels of engagement in extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance issues among a significant minority of pupils.

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 Southmoor Academy attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.0% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Southmoor Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Southmoor Academy had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.0% 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, 18.1% of pupils at Southmoor Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.8% 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 Southmoor Academy received £8,022 and spent £8,074 for each of its 1,394 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,178,000 (£845 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Aspire North East Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,925 and spending £8,867 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 · Sunderland local authority: places and applications

Southmoor Academy is part of Aspire North East Multi Academy Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Sandhill View Academy Sunderland

What is Southmoor Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southmoor Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Southmoor Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Southmoor Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Southmoor Academy have?

Southmoor Academy has 1,398 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southmoor Academy cover?

Southmoor Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Southmoor Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.8, and 50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Southmoor Academy?

Southmoor Academy is at Ryhope Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 7TF.