Gillas Lane Primary Academy

Primary Ages 3-11 134 pupils Houghton Le Spring

Gillas Lane Primary Academy is an academy converter in Houghton Le Spring for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has 134 pupils on roll. In 2025, 15% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. It has more teachers for its size than most primary schools: 15.8 pupils for each teacher in 2025/26, against 20.7 nationally.

KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Academy converter
Age Range 3-11
Religion Does not apply
Address Seaton Avenue
Houghton le Spring
Tyne and Wear
DH5 8EH
Phone 01915005956
Reference Number 143493

General Makeup

Number of pupils 134
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 56.72%
Girls: 43.28%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 61.7%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 3.7%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 19.1
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 19.3

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 11 12 23
2 12 6 18
3 7 9 16
4 10 4 14
5 10 5 15
6 9 6 15

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 76.9%
African 13.4%
White, Other 3.7%
White & Asian 3%
White & Black (African) 1.5%
Unclassified 0.7%

Overall Ofsted Rating
Last Report Date 26 Jun 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection
Date Report
26 Jun 2024 School inspection
03 Jul 2019 Short inspection
06 Oct 2016 Academy conversion letter
04 Dec 2013 Full inspection:
Previously as Gillas Lane Primary School
26 Jun 2012 Full inspection:
19 Nov 2008 Full inspection:
23 Nov 2005 Full inspection:
19 Jun 2000 Full inspection

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 15%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 0%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 97
Maths 101

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 1.1
Writing 0.7
Maths 0.4

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 12 1
Third Preference 4 0
From another Local Authority 2 1

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Gillas Lane Primary Academy had 123 pupils for 210 places. 87 places (41.4%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Primary Planning Area 2” planning area

Sunderland counted 243 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 211 in 2029–30, down 13%.

20172018201920212022202320242025
Places 210210210210210210210210
Pupils 142134127135122122110123
Unfilled 32.4%36.2%39.5%35.7%41.9%41.9%47.6%41.4%

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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 30.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

2018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.1%3.3%2.3%4.8%4.9%4.3%5.2%
Unauthorised absence 1.9%2.2%1.5%1.9%2.9%2.5%2.3%
Severely absent pupils 3.1%0.8%1.5%2.5%1.6%1.7%0.9%

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, 2.8% of pupils at Gillas Lane Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.72.12.91.40.01.50.87.0
Permanent exclusions 000000001

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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 10.211.811.711.110.411.210.112.413.011.6
Teachers who left state teaching 12.8%0.0%20.5%0.0%0.0%0.0%15.7%14.1%0.0%–
Teachers who took any sick leave –44.4%55.6%–20.0%50.0%54.5%18.2%25.0%–
Sick days per teacher –0.910.4–1.92.811.60.51.4–

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, 24.6% of pupils at Gillas Lane Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Speech, language and communication needs 14 0
Social, emotional and mental health 8 0
Moderate learning difficulty 5 0
Autistic spectrum disorder 3 0
Hearing impairment 1 0
No specialist assessment of need 1 0
Physical disability 1 0

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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy received £8,379 and spent £8,614 for each of its 132 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £260,000 (£1,972 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Aim High Academy Trust, income was £6,653 and spending £6,045 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2019202020212022202320242025
Revenue reserve £117,000£156,000£222,000£177,000£262,000£302,000£260,000
per pupil £857£1,169£1,652£1,413£2,065£2,499£1,972
In-year balance -£236,000£17,000£44,000£779,000£0£94,000-£31,000
per pupil -£1,737£128£328£6,207£2£773-£236

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.

Name Distance
Bernard Gilpin Primary School
Hall Lane, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 8DA
0.4 miles
Houghton Le Spring Nursery School
Neasham Place, Houghton le Spring, DH5 8AE
0.41 miles
Eppleton Academy Primary School
Church Road, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 9AJ
0.53 miles
St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Houghton
Durham Road, St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 8NF
0.67 miles
Burnside Academy Inspires
Burnside Estate, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 5HB
1.06 miles
Newbottle Primary Academy
Houghton Road, Newbottle, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 4EE
1.31 miles
East Rainton Primary School
School Road, East Rainton, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 9RA
1.45 miles
Hetton Primary School
Moorsley Road, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 9ND
1.49 miles
Hetton Lyons Primary School
Four Lane Ends, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 0AH
1.63 miles
Hetton Lyons Nursery School
Four Lane Ends, Houghton Le Spring, DH5 0AH
1.66 miles
Dubmire Primary
Britannia Terrace, Fence Houses, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 6HL
1.7 miles
Benedict Biscop Church of England Academy
Marcross Drive, Moorside, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 2RE
2.15 miles
East Herrington Primary Academy
Balmoral Terrace, East Herrington, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 3PR
2.36 miles
Shiney Row Primary School
Rear South View, Shiney Row, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 4QP
2.36 miles
Easington Lane Primary School
High Street, Easington Lane, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 0JT
2.38 miles
Woodlea Primary School
Fence Houses, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 6AR
2.39 miles
Bournmoor Primary School
Lambourne Close, Bournmoor, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 6HF
2.64 miles
Barnwell Academy
Whitefield Estate, Penshaw, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 7RT
2.74 miles
Mill Hill Nursery School
Torphin Hill Drive, Sunderland, SR3 2PJ
2.75 miles
Mill Hill Primary School
Torphin Hill Drive, Sunderland, SR3 2PJ
2.76 miles
Name Distance
Kepier
Dairy Lane, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 5BH
0.68 miles
Hetton Academy
North Road, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 9JZ
1.44 miles
Portland Academy
Weymouth Road, Chapelgarth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 2NQ
2.23 miles
The Poplars
Miners Lodge, Market Crescent, New Herrington, Houghton le Spring, DH4 7AP
2.27 miles
Farringdon Community Academy
Allendale Road, Sunderland, SR3 3EL
2.63 miles
Elemore Hall School
Pittington, Elemore Hall School, Durham, DH6 1QD
3.29 miles
Sandhill View Academy
Grindon Lane, Thorney Close, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 4EN
3.56 miles
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
Tunstall Bank, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 0SX
3.66 miles
Seaham High School
Station Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 0BH
3.68 miles
Thornhill Park School
Portland Road, Plains Farm, Sunderland, SR3 1SS
3.9 miles
Christ's College
Pennywell Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR4 8PG
4.03 miles
Academy 360
Portsmouth Road, Sunderland, SR4 9BA
4.09 miles
City of Sunderland College
Bede Centre, Durham Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 4AH
4.15 miles
St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington
Biddick Lane, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 8AF
4.22 miles
Biddick Academy
Biddick Lane, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 8AL
4.37 miles
Barbara Priestman Academy
Meadowside, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 7QN
4.55 miles
Hopespring Sunderland
10 Sea View Road West, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 9HA
4.56 miles
St Aidan's Catholic Academy
Willowbank Road, Ashbrooke, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 7HJ
4.63 miles
Park View School
Church Chare, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 3QA
4.65 miles
Belmont Community School
The Links, Belmont, Durham, DH1 2AG
4.7 miles

All schools in Houghton Le Spring · Sunderland local authority: places and applications

Gillas Lane Primary Academy is part of Aim High Academy Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

How many pupils does Gillas Lane Primary Academy have?

Gillas Lane Primary Academy has 134 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gillas Lane Primary Academy cover?

Gillas Lane Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Gillas Lane Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 15% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Gillas Lane Primary Academy?

Gillas Lane Primary Academy is at Seaton Avenue, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 8EH.

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