Woodham Academy

Woodham Academy remains a good school, demonstrating notable growth in both student population and community support. The school has effectively created a welcoming environment for pupils, particularly those transitioning from other educational settings. Relationships between staff and students are strong, contributing to a culture of trust and respect. Leadership has high academic expectations and provides various extracurricular opportunities that enhance student experience beyond academia.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between adults and pupils
• Effective support for pupils transitioning to the school
• Ambitious curriculum design across different subjects
• High expectations for student achievement and behaviour
• Commitment to personal development and character education
• Effective safeguarding and mental health support
• Positive staff morale and commitment to professional development

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment in some subjects does not precisely identify gaps in pupils' knowledge

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 Woodham Academy attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.7% 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, 5.6% of pupils at Woodham Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Woodham Academy had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.6% 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, 14.4% of pupils at Woodham Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.3% 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 Woodham Academy received £8,442 and spent £8,393 for each of its 1,027 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,112,000 (£1,083 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Eden Learning Trust, income was £8,319 and spending £8,301 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 Newton Aycliffe · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Woodham Academy is part of Eden Learning Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Aycliffe Village Primary and Nursery School Newton Aycliffe
• Chilton Academy Ferryhill
• Ferryhill School Ferryhill
• King James I Academy Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland
• St Helen Auckland Community Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Kepier Houghton Le Spring
• Woodlea Primary School Houghton Le Spring
• Seaham High School Seaham
• Tanfield School Stanley

What is Woodham Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woodham Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Woodham Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Woodham Academy was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Woodham Academy have?

Woodham Academy has 1,071 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woodham Academy cover?

Woodham Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Woodham Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.5, and 47% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Woodham Academy?

Woodham Academy is at Washington Crescent, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 4AX.