School profile

New Penshaw Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led · Houghton le Spring, DH4 7HY

Good

Map showing New Penshaw Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#9,983 of 15,057

Worse than 66% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

New Penshaw Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 12 Feb 2019

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages3 to 11
Pupils112
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Stephanie Johnson
TrustINSPIRE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Local authoritySunderland
Opened01 Apr 2013
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139391.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolSunderlandEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland66%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.0%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland11%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.102, worse than England, worse than Sunderland106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.100, worse than England, worse than Sunderland105105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.100, worse than England, worse than Sunderland106105
Expected standard in reading67%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland77%76%
Expected standard in writing58%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland75%73%
Expected standard in maths63%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland77%75%
Pupils taking tests24--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils112
Girls57
Boys55
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.38.4%
First language not English6.3%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.210
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.100
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.52.4%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.31
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.0
Average class size13

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
90.2%
Other ethnic group
2.7%
White and Asian
1.8%
Other mixed
1.8%
Other White
0.9%
White and Black African
0.9%
Other Asian
0.9%
Chinese
0.9%
Irish
0%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher13.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.1
Teachers (FTE)8
Teaching assistants (FTE)4
Support staff (FTE)8.25
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/259.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/256.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/251.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.18
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.31
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.13
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.13
Applications from another local authority (Reception)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolSunderlandEngland
Overall absence7.6%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland5.2%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.5%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland14.2%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1%, similar to England, similar to Sunderland0.9%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate0.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.7%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near New Penshaw Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryBarnwell AcademyAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryOur Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, PenshawAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryShiney Row Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryFatfield AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miSecondarySt Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, WashingtonAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miSecondaryBiddick AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.6 miPrimaryBournmoor Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.7 miPrimaryJohn F Kennedy Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
1.7 miPrimaryNewbottle Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miPrimaryBiddick Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about New Penshaw Academy

What is New Penshaw Academy's Ofsted rating?

New Penshaw Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 12 Feb 2019.

How does New Penshaw Academy rank in England?

New Penshaw Academy ranks 9,983 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 66% of schools).

What are New Penshaw Academy's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 58% of pupils at New Penshaw Academy met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into New Penshaw Academy?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, New Penshaw Academy made 18 offers from 31 applications (1.7 per offer), and 13 of 13 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend New Penshaw Academy?

New Penshaw Academy has 112 pupils aged 3 to 11.

What is the capacity of New Penshaw Academy?

New Penshaw Academy had 210 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at New Penshaw Academy?

At New Penshaw Academy, the average class had 13 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 13.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at New Penshaw Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at New Penshaw Academy missed 7.6% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 23.5% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.