New Silksworth Academy Junior

New Silksworth Academy Junior is performing well as it continues to be classified as a good school. The strong sense of belonging among pupils, demonstrated through their enthusiasm and warm relationships with staff, underlines the supportive community fostering effective learning. The school places a high emphasis on an ambitious curriculum and ensures that reading is at the core of the students' experience. With a strong commitment towards pupils' independence and preparation for future careers, the academy also excels in its provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Overall, the leadership and community engagement create a conducive environment for growth and learning.

Strengths

• Strong sense of belonging among students.
• Ambitious curriculum designed to build knowledge over time.
• High prioritization of reading in daily activities.
• Effective training for staff in teaching phonics.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Excellent provision for pupils with SEND.
• High standards of behaviour and respect among pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in clarity of teachers' explanations.
• Occasional lack of effective questioning to check understanding.

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 New Silksworth Academy Junior attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 1.9% of pupils at New Silksworth Academy Junior were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 New Silksworth Academy Junior had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 30.0% of pupils at New Silksworth Academy Junior were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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

In 2024–25 New Silksworth Academy Junior received £7,417 and spent £7,156 for each of its 208 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £439,000 (£2,109 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Extol Academy Trust, income was £7,637 and spending £7,801 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

New Silksworth Academy Junior is part of Extol Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• New Silksworth Academy Infant Sunderland
• Clavering Primary School Hartlepool
• Springwell School Hartlepool
• Eldon Grove Academy Hartlepool
• Rossmere Academy Hartlepool
• Roseberry Primary School Billingham
• Thorntree Academy Middlesbrough

What is New Silksworth Academy Junior's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for New Silksworth Academy Junior is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was New Silksworth Academy Junior last inspected by Ofsted?

New Silksworth Academy Junior was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does New Silksworth Academy Junior have?

New Silksworth Academy Junior has 200 pupils on roll.

What age range does New Silksworth Academy Junior cover?

New Silksworth Academy Junior for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are New Silksworth Academy Junior's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is New Silksworth Academy Junior?

New Silksworth Academy Junior is at Blind Lane, New Silksworth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 1AS.