Barnwell Academy is a primary school in Houghton le Spring, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Barnwell Academy currently has around 317 pupils on roll, which is about 151% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 52.7% boys and 47.3% girls. Around 20.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 4.1%. Persistent absence is recorded at 9%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (96.2%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Whitefield Estate, Houghton le Spring, DH4 7RT |
| Website: | www.barnwellacademy.co.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01915844440 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Sunderland |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr Kristopher Sadler |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 140700 |
Ofsted inspection date: 20/06/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 210 |
| Number of Pupils: | 317 |
| Number of Boys: | 167 |
| Number of Girls: | 150 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 4.1% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 9% | 8.2% |
| White British | 96.20% | 305 |
| Other Asian | 0.90% | 3 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.90% | 3 |
| White and Asian | 0.60% | 2 |
| Other White | 0.30% | 1 |
| White and Black African | 0.30% | 1 |
| Other Mixed | 0.30% | 1 |
| Pakistani | 0.30% | 1 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
| African | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Indian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Unclassified | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell Academy Whitefield Estate , Penshaw DH4 7RT | 4out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Our Lady Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School Station Road , Penshaw DH4 7JZ | - not rated | 316 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw Station Road , Penshaw DH4 7JZ | - not rated | 316 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Barnwell Primary School Whitefield Estate , Penshaw DH4 7RT | - not rated | 497 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| New Penshaw Primary School Langdale Road , New Penshaw DH4 7HY | - not rated | 497 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Robert of Newminster Roman Catholic School Biddick Lane , NE38 8AF | - not rated | 2,653 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington Biddick Lane , NE38 8AF | 3out of 4 | 2,653 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Biddick Academy Biddick Lane , NE38 8AL | 3out of 4 | 2,874 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Biddick School Sports College Biddick Lane , NE38 8AL | - not rated | 2,874 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Poplars Miners Lodge, Market Crescent , New Herrington DH4 7AP | - not rated | 943 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Columbia Grange School Oxclose Road , NE38 7NY | 4out of 4 | 2,810 yd | Academy special converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Columbia Grange School Oxclose Road , NE38 7NY | - not rated | 2,810 yd | Community special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.