Wellfield School

Wellfield School is a larger-than-average secondary school within the Connect Multi Academy Trust, serving a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. The school has been judged to be performing at the expected standard across all areas, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Pupils typically achieve at least as well as their peers nationally, with disadvantaged pupils performing notably well compared to national averages for disadvantaged pupils, and attendance has improved significantly over the past two years, though it remains below the national average overall.

Strengths

• Pupils generally achieve at least as well as their peers nationally, with disadvantaged pupils achieving above national averages for disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders have robust attendance systems and have significantly improved attendance for all groups, particularly for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils behave well and treat each other with respect, and leaders provide effective support for those who need help with behaviour.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with effective strategies for developing writing and a strong focus on reading.
• Staff receive regular training to adapt teaching for pupils with SEND, and pupils who need help with foundational skills receive effective support.
• The personal development programme is well planned and covers all statutory requirements, with a wide range of extracurricular opportunities.
• Governors and trustees know the school well and effectively support and challenge leaders.
• Leaders prioritise building effective relationships with the local community.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not consistently adapt their teaching to remove barriers for pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils, so some do not make the progress they could.
• Teachers' checks on pupils' understanding are not always sufficiently precise to identify gaps in knowledge, and these gaps are not always addressed quickly.
• Overall attendance remains below the national average, and persistent absence is above the national average.
• Teaching strategies are not used consistently across all subjects, and some pupils with SEND are not always supported effectively in lessons.

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 Wellfield School attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.3% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Wellfield School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 Wellfield School had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.7% 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, 15.3% of pupils at Wellfield School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% 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 Wellfield School received £9,019 and spent £8,412 for each of its 915 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £89,000 (£98 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Connect Multi-Academy Trust, income was £9,020 and spending £8,455 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 County Durham · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Wellfield School is part of Connect Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Wingate Primary School Wingate
• Pelton Community Primary School Chester Le Street
• Beamish Primary School Stanley
• North Durham Academy Stanley
• Catchgate Primary School Stanley
• Consett Academy Consett
• Castleside Primary School Consett

What is Wellfield School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wellfield School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Wellfield School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wellfield School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Wellfield School have?

Wellfield School has 862 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wellfield School cover?

Wellfield School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Wellfield School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.3, and 50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Wellfield School?

Wellfield School is at North Road East, Wingate, County Durham, TS28 5AX.