Berwick Academy, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Requires Improvement
Secondary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 1318

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~892m)Possible (~1.3km)Unlikely (~1.7km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Kelly Holbrook
Pupils:601 / 934 capacity
LA:Northumberland
Phone:01289305083
Address:Adams Drive, Spittal, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 2JF
Trust:BERWICK ACADEMY
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 November 2011

Ofsted Rating

Requires Improvement

Overall

URN:137598
UKPRN:10035676
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:North Northumberland
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Berwick Academy has made real improvements in getting pupils to attend school regularly, especially for disadvantaged students. The school has a clear curriculum that identifies what pupils need to learn and where they might need extra support. With new leadership in place, the school is focused on continuing to raise standards for all pupils.

Key Strengths

  • Highly effective work to improve pupil attendance, particularly for disadvantaged students
  • Well-designed curriculum that clearly sets out what pupils will learn and identifies challenging topics
  • New leadership team has accelerated the pace of school improvement
  • Strengthened governance with new trustees bringing diverse skills and knowledge
  • Professional development for staff closely matched to school improvement priorities

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum across lessons
  • Activity choices by staff not consistently effective - some pupils not given opportunities to move on to more complex learning
  • Questioning techniques to check pupil understanding not yet consistent across the school
  • Explanations and examples sometimes do not ensure pupils have understood the intended learning
  • Discussion opportunities for pupils sometimes too brief to deepen understanding

Berwick Academy has made progress in improving the school under new leadership, but some aspects still need further development. The school has an effective curriculum in place, though its implementation remains inconsistent.

At a Glance

29.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

19.3

Avg class size

26

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Berwick Academy (at)
187m · 3 min walk
Cemetery Lane (opp)
231m · 4 min walk
Spittal Hall Place (nr)
280m · 5 min walk
Adams Drive (nr)
282m · 5 min walk
Spittal Hall (E-bound)
313m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

64%

Available places

601 pupils

934 capacity

333 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Berwick-upon-Tweed

Low pressure
New homes approved:658
Projected new pupils:118

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Berwick-upon-Tweed

Admissions Demand - Northumberland

Low demand0.88x oversubscription

Places available

1,986

Applications

1,744

Got 1st preference

96.1%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Secondary admissions across Northumberland (2025/26)

Inspection History(114)

Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

11.69462%

Overall absence

36.05578%

Persistent absence

502

Enrolments

Authorised6.76624%
Unauthorised4.92838%
Persistent (10%+)36.05578%
Severe (50%+)5.37849%

Absence trend

7.78548%
18/19
6.96305%
20/21
13.20358%
21/22
12.20722%
22/23
12.49954%
23/24
11.69462%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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