Central Academy, Ashington
Central Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Ashington, part of Wise Academies.
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Central Academy in detail
Results
Central Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2026, as Central Primary School (URN 131021), 65% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 62% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at Central Academy
Across Northumberland, 97% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Northumberland lodged 41 appeals against primary school offers; 24 reached a hearing and 7 succeeded (29.2% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Central Academy are NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 52% reading, 48% maths); St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington (0.6 miles, 87% reading, 97% maths); NCEA James Knott CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, 83% reading, 83% maths); and Bothal Academy (0.8 miles).
NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary SchoolSt Aidan's Catholic Primary School, AshingtonNCEA James Knott CofE Primary SchoolBothal Academy
The trust
Central Academy is one of 18 schools run by Wise Academies, an academy trust.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashington Rail Station, about 450 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bolsover Terrace (s-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Central Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 261 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Central Academy are Ashington Academy (0.5 miles) and NCEA Duke's Secondary School (0.9 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
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
Central Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in March 2026. Before that, as Central Primary School (URN 131021), it was rated Good in October 2023.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Results at Central Primary School before it took its current form in 2026 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published for Central Primary School (URN 131021), the school Central Academy replaced. There are no figures for Central Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 57% to 62% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 66% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Central Academy
Before and after school care
Central 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 Northumberland
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Central Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Central Academy is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 26 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 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
Will you get a place at Central Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Central Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Central Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Central Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- How many families in Northumberland 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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Applications and offers at Central Primary School before it took its current form in 2026
Published for Central Primary School (URN 131021), the school Central Academy replaced. There are no figures for Central Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 75 | 60 | 95 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2024 | 63 | 65 | 78 | 1.0 | 2 |
| 2023 | 54 | 54 | 65 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 69 | 67 | 89 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 61 | 61 | 82 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 71 | 71 | 96 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 78 | 77 | 107 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 68 | 68 | 100 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 91 | 91 | 114 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 94 | 91 | 157 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 89 | 87 | 142 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 78 | 77 | 113 | 1.0 | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Ashington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashington
Across Northumberland council
Places available
3,735
Applications
2,569
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Absence at Central Primary School before it took its current form in 20262024/25
Published for Central Primary School (URN 131021), the school Central Academy replaced. There are no figures for Central Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
6.7%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
499
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
Central Academy
Questions parents ask about Central Academy
Are there exam results for Central Academy?
Central Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2026, as Central Primary School (URN 131021), 65% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 62% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is Central Academy's Ofsted rating?
Central Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in March 2026. Before that, as Central Primary School (URN 131021), it was rated Good in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for Central Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Central Academy is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Central Academy?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Central 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 Central Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Central 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 Central Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 26 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Central Academy?
Central Academy is at Milburn Road, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 0AX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)