Mary Astell Academy, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Mary Astell Academy is an all-through school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, part of Prosper Learning Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Mary Astell Academy in detail
Mary Astell Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "As the Headteacher at Mary Astell Academy, I feel incredibly privileged to work with our community in supporting young people to achieve success. I firmly believe that all young people deserve the very best a modern education has to offer and should be fully prepared to become responsible adults."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Mary Astell Academy
Across Newcastle upon Tyne, 79% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 93% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Newcastle upon Tyne lodged 154 appeals against secondary school offers; 131 reached a hearing and 71 succeeded (54.2% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Mary Astell Academy are Studio West (0.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33); Callerton Academy (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.6); St Cuthbert's High School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.9); and Excelsior Academy (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 34.4).
Studio WestCallerton AcademySt Cuthbert's High SchoolExcelsior Academy
The trust
Mary Astell Academy is one of 5 schools run by Prosper Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 26 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 27% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 15% to a further education college and 4% into work.
Who goes there
91.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 25 pupils (67.6%) received SEN support and 8 (21.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Bank Foot (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Denton Way-Social Club (e-bound), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Mary Astell Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Mary Astell Academy are Beech Hill Primary School (under 0.1 miles); Farne Primary School (0.5 miles); Westerhope Primary School (0.6 miles); and St Mark's Catholic Primary School, Westerhope (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Beech Hill Primary SchoolFarne Primary SchoolWesterhope Primary SchoolSt Mark's Catholic Primary School, Westerhope
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils join Mary Astell Academy after a permanent exclusion or if they need time away from mainstream school. The school works to re-engage pupils with positive school routines. Leaders have created a purposeful school environment. Pupils who attend full time, learn in key stages. Each key stage learns in a separate part of the school building. Pupils on temporary placements learn in their own dedicated area. This helps pupils to settle into familiar age-appropriate learning spaces.
Many pupils attending the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Pupils access personalised support in 'The Hub'. This is a therapeutic space where pupils receive a range of support and targeted interventions. Leaders are proactive in supporting the assessment of pupils' SEND. This allows pupils to make a quick start to learning.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
After a period of instability, the school has focused on improving the curriculum. Additional leadership capacity, provided by the trust, has ensured the school is now able to take the right action to improve the curriculum experienced by pupils. Some areas are more developed than others. For example, in food technology, pupils learn essential skills to better prepare them for life and future careers. In contrast, the school's programme to develop pupils' reading and phonics knowledge is in its early implementation. Staff are not consistently developed in its delivery. Leaders acknowledge that some curriculum improvements are being embedded and refined to ensure that they meet pupils' needs well. This includes pupils with SEND. The impact of the curriculum improvements is still to be realised. Leaders are closely monitoring the improvements to ensure they are effective.
From Ofsted's September 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 Requires Improvement at its June 2022 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Personal development, Leadership & management.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
91.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools
Latest from Mary Astell Academy
Careers Team Newsletter
1 Oct 2026
Street Games Youth Volunteering and Leadership Sessions
16 Sep 2026
Parents Evening
15 Sep 2026
Free School Meal Extension
9 Sep 2026
Leadership Update: New Acting Chief Executive Officer Takes Up Post
2 Sep 2026
Celebrating Successful GCSE Results
20 Aug 2026
From Mary Astell Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Mary Astell Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Mary Astell Academy.
- Westerhope Wraparound Care870m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Mary Astell Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mary Astell Academy is in Newcastle upon Tyne; for families living there:
Apply to Newcastle upon Tyne for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 12 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 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 Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 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
13%
Available places
37 pupils
280 places
243 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Across Newcastle upon Tyne council
Places available
2,560
Applications
2,594
Got 1st preference
79.0%
Got preferred school
93.4%
All secondary applications across Newcastle upon Tyne council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
89.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
37
Total Pupils
23
Boys
14
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
3.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,203
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Mary Astell Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Mary Astell Academy
What is Mary Astell Academy's Ofsted rating?
Mary Astell Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Mary Astell Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Mary Astell Academy is oversubscribed, Newcastle upon Tyne allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Mary Astell Academy?
Mary Astell Academy has around 37 pupils on roll. 92% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Mary Astell Academy?
Apply through Newcastle upon Tyne's coordinated admissions process, naming Mary Astell 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.
Does Mary Astell Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Mary Astell Academy: Westerhope Wraparound Care (870m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Mary Astell Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 12 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 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 Newcastle upon Tyne is 23.5 (the median across 112 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Mary Astell Academy?
Mary Astell Academy is at Linhope Road, West Denton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE5 2LW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)