Gillas Lane Primary Academy, Houghton le Spring
Gillas Lane Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Houghton le Spring, part of Aim High Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 17 schools in Houghton le Spring with published results, and 14,146th of 14,452 across England. It was 59% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
Gillas Lane Primary Academy in detail
Gillas Lane Primary Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Gillas Lane Primary Academy is proud to be part of the Aim High Academy Trust from 1st October 2016. The school is situated in Houghton-Le-Spring, approximately 7 miles from the centre of Sunderland and 5 miles from the centre of Durham."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 15% of Year 6 pupils at Gillas Lane Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Sunderland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 74% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Gillas Lane Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 20 families put Gillas Lane Primary Academy as their first choice and 36 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Gillas Lane Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gillas Lane Primary Academy are Bernard Gilpin Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 92% reading, 93% maths); Eppleton Academy Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 77% maths); St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Houghton (0.7 miles, Good, 97% reading, 97% maths); and Burnside Academy Inspires (1.1 miles, Good, 64% reading, 57% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Gillas Lane Primary Academy.
Bernard Gilpin Primary SchoolEppleton Academy Primary SchoolSt Michael's Catholic Primary School, HoughtonBurnside Academy Inspires
The trust
Gillas Lane Primary Academy is one of 3 schools run by Aim High Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
53.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%) and Black (14%).
In 2026, 33 pupils (24.6%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Gillas Lane Primary Academy had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Gillas Lane Primary Academy.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Queensway-Kirklea Road (sw-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Gillas Lane Primary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Gillas Lane Primary Academy issued 10 suspensions, 7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Gillas Lane Primary Academy are Kepier (0.7 miles) and Hetton Academy (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2013, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Staff at Gillas Lane Primary Academy have high expectations of the pupils in their care. Pupils behave extremely well, demonstrating excellent manners. They listen attentively in class and participate enthusiastically in learning activities.
Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum. Carefully planned teaching from well-trained staff typically helps them to achieve well in a range of subjects. Pupils read regularly due to the school's simple but clear expectation of 'everybody, every night'. The school is rich in high-quality books that pupils enjoy.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Over time, the school has developed the curriculum on offer to pupils. In most subjects, leaders have set out very clearly their expectations of the knowledge that pupils will acquire. These clear expectations help teachers to plan well-chosen activities which support pupils to learn the curriculum. An increasing number of pupils are well prepared for their secondary education as a result.
In a small number of foundation subjects, such as art, the school is still in the process of refining the curriculum. Leaders have identified what they want pupils to be able to do over time. In some topics, the small steps of learning need to be sharpened so that teachers can plan tasks which are more precisely focused on the most important knowledge. Leaders are aware of this and already have plans in place to undertake this work.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
53.7%
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 74% to 15% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 74% to 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.1
Avg class size
19.3
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Gillas Lane Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Gillas Lane Primary 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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gillas Lane Primary 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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
Your chances of a place at Gillas Lane Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Gillas Lane Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gillas Lane Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gillas Lane Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gillas Lane Primary Academy.
- Sunderland publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Gillas Lane Primary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Gillas Lane Primary Academy for 2017 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
59%
Available places
123 pupils
210 places
87 spare places 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
24.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
134
Total Pupils
76
Boys
58
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
14.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,366
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,923
Per pupil
£975k
Total funding
£102k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.6%
Overall absence
30.6%
Persistent absence
111
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
Gillas Lane Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Gillas Lane Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Gillas Lane Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 15% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Gillas Lane Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Gillas Lane Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Gillas Lane Primary 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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
Gillas Lane Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 59% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
Classes at Gillas Lane Primary Academy average 19.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
Gillas Lane Primary Academy has around 134 pupils on roll. 54% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
7.6% of sessions were missed at Gillas Lane Primary Academy in 2024/25. 30.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Gillas Lane Primary 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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Gillas Lane Primary 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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Gillas Lane Primary Academy?
Gillas Lane Primary Academy is at Seaton Avenue, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH5 8EH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)