Columbia Grange School, Washington
Columbia Grange School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Washington, part of Oak Learning Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Columbia Grange School in detail
Columbia Grange School in its own words
In its own words: "Columbia Grange is a co-educational school for children with severe learning difficulties and/or autism between the ages of five to eleven years. The school initially opened in September 2003 and is a purpose built provision with additional facilities for autistic pupils who have severe learning difficulties."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include cooking and art.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Columbia Grange School are The Poplars (2.1 miles, Good); Education and Services for People with Autism (2.6 miles, Good); North View Academy (3 miles, Good); and Trinity Academy New Bridge (3.1 miles, Requires improvement).
The PoplarsEducation and Services for People with AutismNorth View AcademyTrinity Academy New Bridge
The trust
Columbia Grange School is one of 7 schools run by Oak Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
43.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 5.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Asian (6%).
Almost every pupil at Columbia Grange School has an education, health and care plan (140 of 140 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Columbia Grange School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is South Hylton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oxclose Road (e-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 92 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sunderland (148).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Columbia Grange School issued 1 suspension, 0.7 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Columbia Grange School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2023. Before that, as Columbia Grange School (URN 134184), it was rated Outstanding in March 2011.
At a Glance
43.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Columbia Grange School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Columbia Grange School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Columbia Grange School 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
140 pupils
140 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Washington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Washington
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,305
Applications
2,921
Got 1st preference
92.9%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
140
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Columbia Grange School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
140
Total Pupils
109
Boys
31
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,195
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
22.6%
Persistent absence
137
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Columbia Grange School
What are SATs results like at Columbia Grange School?
Of the pupils at Columbia Grange School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Columbia Grange School's Ofsted rating?
Columbia Grange School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2023. Before that, as Columbia Grange School (URN 134184), it was rated Outstanding in March 2011.
What is the catchment area for Columbia Grange School?
No fixed boundary. When Columbia Grange School is oversubscribed, Sunderland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Columbia Grange School?
Columbia Grange School has around 140 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Columbia Grange School have specialist SEN provision?
Columbia Grange School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Columbia Grange School?
8.8% of sessions were missed at Columbia Grange School in 2024/25. 22.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Columbia Grange School?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Columbia Grange School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Columbia Grange School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Columbia Grange School?
Columbia Grange School is at Oxclose Road, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7NY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)