NCEA Duke's Secondary School, Ashington

Ofsted's report card from its 28 April 2026 inspection grades NCEA Duke's Secondary School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have fostered a welcoming and inclusive culture."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear vision for the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have ensured that the school's personal development programme is well designed."

Post-16 provision - Expected standard. "Despite the upcoming closure of the sixth form, leaders ensure a broad post‑16 offer is in place that combines academic and vocational routes with appropriate enrichment."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils do not attain and progress as well as they should over time."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' attendance has been too low for too long."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "There is variability in how well the curriculum is delivered."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment information carefully to adapt teaching to address any gaps or misconceptions in knowledge and so enable pupils to achieve better outcomes, including in public examinations"; "Leaders should continue to work with families and external agencies to prioritise improving pupils' attendance, so that more pupils attend school more often".

In 2026, pupils at NCEA Duke's Secondary School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Northumberland and 47 across England.

33% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Northumberland and 47% in England.

That is up from 32 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.05: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.7, against 42.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Physics, Biology and Chemistry.

For September 2026 entry, 171 families put NCEA Duke's Secondary School as their first choice and 215 named it as one of their preferences, for 170 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to NCEA Duke's Secondary School are Ashington Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); Bedlington Academy (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.6); The Blyth Academy (3.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.7); and St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy (3.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.6).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than NCEA Duke's Secondary School.

NCEA Duke's Secondary School is one of 9 schools run by Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, an academy trust.

44 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about NCEA Duke's Secondary School (as of September 2025): 55% would recommend the school, 57% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (61%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).

Of the 180 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 33 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 24% went on to university or other higher education, 18% to apprenticeships and 24% into work.

49.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 218 pupils (22.2%) received SEN support and 61 (6.2%) 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.

NCEA Duke's Secondary School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Ashington Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northern Social Club (outside), 270 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood NCEA Duke's Secondary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 6th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 255 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.

In 2024/25, NCEA Duke's Secondary School issued 962 suspensions, 92.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 11 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to NCEA Duke's Secondary School are NCEA Bishop's Primary School (under 0.1 miles); St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington (0.3 miles); NCEA Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School (0.3 miles); and NCEA James Knott CofE Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.