The Cedars Academy

The Cedars Academy continues to perform well as a good school, effectively meeting the needs of all its pupils, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The leadership has focused on creating tailored pathways that match student requirements, leading to a supportive atmosphere where pupils thrive. Relationships between staff and students are strong, fostering a sense of safety and trust throughout the school environment. Parents express high satisfaction with the staff's commitment to supporting individual challenges. While the curriculum is generally well-planned and adapted for students, some subjects require further development due to new leaders still becoming familiar with their roles. The changes in school leadership and at the trust level have introduced some uncertainty regarding the support structure, which could impact future school development. Despite these challenges, staff well-being is prioritized, and students benefit from a rich array of enrichment activities that enhance their personal growth.

Strengths

• Strong, caring relationships between staff and pupils.
• Highly specialized curriculum tailored to individual needs.
• Effective behaviour management fostering a calm learning environment.
• Successful implementation of a well-planned curriculum for most subjects.
• Positive parental feedback regarding support for individual student needs.
• Robust safeguarding culture in the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects are not consistently taught at a level that promotes effective learning.
• New subject leaders require development to enhance curriculum oversight.
• Recent changes in leadership have created some ambiguities in support roles.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Cedars Academy attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 21.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 0.0% of pupils at The Cedars Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No 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 The Cedars Academy had 6.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 The Cedars Academy had 293 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Cedars Academy received £21,588 and spent £22,218 for each of its 243 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £912,000 (£3,753 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.

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What is The Cedars Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Cedars Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was The Cedars Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Cedars Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does The Cedars Academy have?

The Cedars Academy has 293 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Cedars Academy cover?

The Cedars Academy for pupils aged 3 to 19.

What are The Cedars Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Cedars Academy?

The Cedars Academy is at Ivy Lane, Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE9 6QD.