School profile

Whitworth Park Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Spennymoor, DL16 7LN

Good

Map showing Whitworth Park Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#813 of 3,312

Better than 75% of schools in England

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

Whitworth Park Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 5 Oct 2022

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils996
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Stuart Dixon
TrustADVANCE LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Local authorityCounty Durham
Opened01 Sept 2018
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 145564.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolCounty DurhamEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.51.3, better than England, better than County Durham44.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.70.3%, better than England, better than County Durham62.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.53.8%, better than England, better than County Durham43%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.14.9%, similar to England, better than County Durham11.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths69.2%, better than England, better than County Durham58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4195--

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 pupils996
Girls493
Boys503
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.37.8%
First language not English3.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,370
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.27.3%
Sixth form places2020/21118
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.203
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.25
Average class size25.4

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
93.5%
African
1.1%
Other ethnic group
1%
Other White
0.5%
White and Black African
0.5%
White and Asian
0.5%
Other Asian
0.5%
Other mixed
0.4%
White and Black Caribbean
0.2%
Pakistani
0.2%

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 teacher17.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.4
Teachers (FTE)56.62
Teaching assistants (FTE)8.09
Support staff (FTE)39.81
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2555.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2545
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/259
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 (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.218
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.334
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.219
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.212
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

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 schoolCounty DurhamEngland
Overall absence7.5%, similar to England, better than County Durham8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.2%, similar to England, similar to County Durham23.1%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.4%, worse than England, worse than County Durham3.6%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 rate3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions2.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

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.86.9%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.80.8%
Further education56.9%
School sixth form23.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.7.7%
Apprenticeship3.8%
Employment2.3%
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 Whitworth Park Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryMiddlestone Moor AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryRosa Street Primary and Nursery AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimaryKing Street Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryNorth Park Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.0 miPrimarySpringmoor Grange SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.2 miPrimarySt Charles' Catholic Primary School, TudhoeAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miNurseryTudhoe Moor Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
1.6 miPrimaryKirk Merrington Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
1.7 miSecondaryFerryhill SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Whitworth Park Academy

What is Whitworth Park Academy's Ofsted rating?

Whitworth Park Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 5 Oct 2022.

How does Whitworth Park Academy rank in England?

Whitworth Park Academy ranks 813 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 75% of schools).

What are Whitworth Park Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 53.8% of pupils at Whitworth Park Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 51.3 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Whitworth Park Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Whitworth Park Academy made 218 offers from 334 applications (1.5 per offer), and 212 of 219 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Whitworth Park Academy?

Whitworth Park Academy has 996 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Whitworth Park Academy?

Whitworth Park Academy had 1,370 school places in 2024/25.

Does Whitworth Park Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Whitworth Park Academy has a sixth form with 118 places in 2020/21.

How big are classes at Whitworth Park Academy?

At Whitworth Park Academy, the average class had 25.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Whitworth Park Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Whitworth Park Academy missed 7.5% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.2% 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.