New Silksworth Academy Junior, Sunderland
New Silksworth Academy Junior is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Sunderland, part of Extol Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 39th-highest of the 43 schools in Sunderland with published results, and 11,322nd of 14,452 across England. It was 74% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Capacity
- 74% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
New Silksworth Academy Junior in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at New Silksworth Academy Junior reached the expected standard in reading and 65% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Sunderland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 77% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at New Silksworth Academy Junior
Across Sunderland, 95% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Sunderland lodged 42 appeals against primary school offers; 33 reached a hearing and 15 succeeded (45.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to New Silksworth Academy Junior are New Silksworth Academy Infant (under 0.1 miles, Good); St Leonard's Catholic Primary School, Silksworth (under 0.1 miles, Good, 91% reading, 94% maths); Mill Hill Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 92% reading, 87% maths); and Hill View Infant Academy (1 mile, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than New Silksworth Academy Junior.
New Silksworth Academy InfantSt Leonard's Catholic Primary School, SilksworthMill Hill Primary SchoolHill View Infant Academy
The trust
New Silksworth Academy Junior is one of 8 schools run by Extol Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
49.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 60 pupils (30%) received SEN support and 5 (2.5%) 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.
Staffing
New Silksworth Academy Junior had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is University (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 2 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blind Lane - Wynyard Street (s-bound), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood New Silksworth Academy Junior stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, New Silksworth Academy Junior issued 5 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to New Silksworth Academy Junior are Venerable Bede Church of England Academy (0.4 miles), Farringdon Community Academy (1.1 miles) and Southmoor Academy (1.5 miles).
Venerable Bede Church of England AcademyFarringdon Community AcademySouthmoor Academy
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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2019, 7 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?
The pupils who attend New Silksworth Academy know that they belong here. They have a strong sense of their own identity and what it means to be a pupil at the school. The school's motto #WeAre encapsulates this sense of belonging. Pupils talk about their learning behaviours and what it means to be courageous, inspirational and resilient. The school community sum up these learning behaviours in #WeAreNewSilksworth.
Pupils are excited to arrive at school in the morning. They are keen to share stories and news with adults. The warm relationships between staff and pupils are immediately clear. Many pupils explain that the adults are the best thing about their school. Pupils are confident that their teachers want the best for them and will keep them safe.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that allows pupils to learn about the world around them. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about the area they live in and then the world beyond. The school recognises the importance of making sure that pupils learn about role models and aim high. Pupils learn about local authors and industry, as well as other cultures. In designing the curriculum, the school has ensured that knowledge is built carefully over time. Leaders have mapped out the crucial knowledge that pupils will learn. They have anticipated mistakes that pupils might make and explicitly teach important vocabulary.
Reading runs through everything at New Silksworth Academy. The school has ensured that reading and stories are at the heart of pupils' daily experiences. Pupils enjoy a book and a bagel each morning. They talk with excitement about the stories that adults share with them. Pupils of all ages learn poems by heart. Pupils understand why reading is important.
From Ofsted's July 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 June 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
49.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 77% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 65% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
25.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with New Silksworth Academy Junior
Before and after school care
New Silksworth Academy Junior 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
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near New Silksworth Academy Junior.
- Helpinghands Out of School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to New Silksworth Academy Junior from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. New Silksworth Academy Junior 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
- 23
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
74%
Available places
207 pupils
280 places
73 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sunderland
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sunderland
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.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
32.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
200
Total Pupils
101
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
15.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,105
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,837
Per pupil
£1396k
Total funding
£132k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
14.0%
Persistent absence
214
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
New Silksworth Academy Junior
Questions parents ask about New Silksworth Academy Junior
What are SATs results like at New Silksworth Academy Junior?
Of the pupils at New Silksworth Academy Junior who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 65% did so in maths.
What is New Silksworth Academy Junior's Ofsted rating?
New Silksworth Academy Junior's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for New Silksworth Academy Junior?
No fixed boundary. When New Silksworth Academy Junior is oversubscribed, Sunderland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at New Silksworth Academy Junior?
New Silksworth Academy Junior was not full in 2025: it ran at 74% of its 280 places.
How big are the classes at New Silksworth Academy Junior?
Classes at New Silksworth Academy Junior average 25 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to New Silksworth Academy Junior?
New Silksworth Academy Junior has around 200 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at New Silksworth Academy Junior?
5.8% of sessions were missed at New Silksworth Academy Junior in 2024/25. 14% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to New Silksworth Academy Junior?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming New Silksworth Academy Junior 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 New Silksworth Academy Junior have a breakfast club or after-school club?
New Silksworth Academy Junior 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. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Helpinghands Out of School Club (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near New Silksworth Academy Junior?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 New Silksworth Academy Junior?
New Silksworth Academy Junior is at Blind Lane, New Silksworth, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 1AS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)