Harry Watts Academy, Sunderland
Harry Watts Academy is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Sunderland, part of Prosper Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Harry Watts Academy in detail
Harry Watts Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I very much hope that it will give you a feel for our wonderful school along with some of the enriching opportunities on offer. Harry Watts Academy is a specialist multi site Academy for pupils aged 5 to 16 years. All pupils at Harry Watts, have a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and complex learning difficulties."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Harry Watts Academy are Trinity Academy New Bridge (0.7 miles, Requires improvement); Education and Services for People with Autism (1.3 miles, Good); North View Academy (1.5 miles, Good); and Epinay Business and Enterprise School (2.5 miles, Outstanding).
Trinity Academy New BridgeEducation and Services for People with AutismNorth View AcademyEpinay Business and Enterprise School
The trust
Harry Watts Academy is one of 5 schools run by Prosper Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
50.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (88%) and Asian (7%).
Almost every pupil at Harry Watts Academy has an education, health and care plan (179 of 187 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Pallion (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ramillies Road-Rockingham Road (e-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Harry Watts 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, Harry Watts Academy issued 6 suspensions, 3.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its July 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
50.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Harry Watts Academy
Harvest Festival in Jaguar Class
5 Oct 2026
Harvest Festival
5 Oct 2026
Tree-mendous English Lesson
5 Oct 2026
Maths in Purple Class
2 Oct 2026
Phonics
2 Oct 2026
Firefighters
2 Oct 2026
From Harry Watts Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Harry Watts Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Harry Watts Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Harry Watts 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
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, 3 serious and 6 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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
117%
Over capacity
187 pupils
160 places
27 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Sunderland
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sunderland
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.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
179
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
187
Total Pupils
148
Boys
39
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
6.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,222
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
18.8%
Persistent absence
176
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Harry Watts Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Harry Watts Academy
What are SATs results like at Harry Watts Academy?
Of the pupils at Harry Watts Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Harry Watts Academy's Ofsted rating?
Harry Watts Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023.
What is the catchment area for Harry Watts Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Harry Watts Academy is oversubscribed, Sunderland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Harry Watts Academy?
Harry Watts Academy has around 187 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Harry Watts Academy?
7% of sessions were missed at Harry Watts Academy in 2024/25. 18.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Harry Watts Academy?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Harry Watts Academy 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 Harry Watts Academy?
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, 3 serious and 6 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Harry Watts Academy?
Harry Watts Academy is at Ramillies Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 5JA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)