Barnwell Academy, Houghton le Spring
Barnwell Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Houghton le Spring, part of Tyne and Wear Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 17 schools in Houghton le Spring with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.6 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- 1.6 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Sunderland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Barnwell Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Barnwell Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Sunderland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Barnwell Academy
For September 2026 entry, 48 families put Barnwell Academy as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 18 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Barnwell Academy are Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw (0.2 miles, Requires improvement, 79% reading, 75% maths); New Penshaw Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 67% reading, 63% maths); Shiney Row Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 75% reading, 79% maths); and Fatfield Academy (1.3 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths).
Barnwell Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, PenshawNew Penshaw AcademyShiney Row Primary SchoolFatfield Academy
The trust
Barnwell Academy is one of 6 schools run by Tyne and Wear Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
12.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 42 pupils (13.9%) received SEN support and 3 (1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is South Hylton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Avondale Avenue (nw-bound), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Barnwell Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 91 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sunderland (148).
Suspensions and exclusions
Barnwell Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
12.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 87% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 87% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.1
Avg class size
30.5
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Barnwell Academy
Before and after school care
Barnwell Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Sunderland
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Barnwell Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Barnwell Academy is in Sunderland; for families living there:
Apply to Sunderland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Barnwell Academy
Will you get a place at Barnwell Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Barnwell Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Barnwell Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Barnwell Academy.
- Sunderland publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Barnwell Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Barnwell Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Sunderland got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
209 pupils
210 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Houghton le Spring
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Houghton le Spring
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,430
Applications
2,737
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 1.6 first choices per place
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
42
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
14.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
302
Total Pupils
158
Boys
144
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
30.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,802
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,309
Per pupil
£1242k
Total funding
£64k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
6.5%
Persistent absence
184
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Barnwell Academy
Questions parents ask about Barnwell Academy
What are SATs results like at Barnwell Academy?
Of the pupils at Barnwell Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is Barnwell Academy's Ofsted rating?
Barnwell Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Barnwell Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Barnwell Academy is oversubscribed, Sunderland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Barnwell Academy?
Barnwell Academy was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Barnwell Academy?
Classes at Barnwell Academy average 27.1 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Barnwell Academy?
Barnwell Academy has around 302 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Barnwell Academy?
3.7% of sessions were missed at Barnwell Academy in 2024/25. 6.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Barnwell Academy?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Barnwell Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Barnwell Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Barnwell Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Barnwell Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Barnwell Academy?
Barnwell Academy is at Whitefield Estate, Penshaw, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 7RT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)