School profile

Washington Academy

Secondary · Academy converter · Washington, NE37 2AA

Requires improvement

Map showing Washington Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,504 of 3,312

Worse than 75% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Washington Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 21 Apr 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils627
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Victoria Carter
TrustCONSILIUM ACADEMIES
Local authoritySunderland
Opened01 Sept 2017
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 144937.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolSunderlandEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.41, worse than England, worse than Sunderland43.646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.59.6%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland63.6%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.37.5%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland44.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.5.9%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland10.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths51.5%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland58%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4136--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils627
Girls300
Boys327
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.58.4%
First language not English3.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.900
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.30.3%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.157
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.46
Average class size20.5

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
90.3%
African
3.2%
Other White
1.6%
Other mixed
1%
White and Black African
0.6%
White and Asian
0.6%
Other ethnic group
0.5%
White and Black Caribbean
0.3%
Bangladeshi
0.3%
Chinese
0.3%

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 teacher16.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.4
Teachers (FTE)38.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.28
Support staff (FTE)33.48
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2541.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2531.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/257
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253

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 (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.108
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.156
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.105
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.105
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)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 absence12.2%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland9.6%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.31.3%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland26.4%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.6.9%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland4.9%3.6%

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 rate78.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions18.7%
Permanent exclusion rate1.2%
Permanent exclusions7

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

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.77.9%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.71.4%
Further education64.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.15.6%
School sixth form7.1%
Apprenticeship3.2%
Employment3.2%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 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 Washington Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimarySt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, WashingtonAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimaryAlbany Village Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miNurseryUsworth Colliery Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryUsworth Colliery Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryWessington Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryBarmston Village Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimarySt Bede's Catholic Primary School, WashingtonAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryMarlborough Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryGeorge Washington Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryJohn F Kennedy Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Washington Academy

What is Washington Academy's Ofsted rating?

Washington Academy is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 21 Apr 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Washington Academy rank in England?

Washington Academy ranks 2,504 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 75% of schools).

What are Washington Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 37.5% of pupils at Washington Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Washington Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Washington Academy made 108 offers from 156 applications (1.4 per offer), and 105 of 105 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Washington Academy?

Washington Academy has 627 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Washington Academy?

Washington Academy had 900 school places in 2024/25.

Does Washington Academy have a sixth form?

No, Washington Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Washington Academy?

At Washington Academy, the average class had 20.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Washington Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Washington Academy missed 12.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 31.3% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

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.