Norman Cornish Academy, Spennymoor
Norman Cornish Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Spennymoor, part of Horizons Specialist Academy Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Norman Cornish Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Norman Cornish Academy are The Oaks Secondary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding); The Grange Learning Centre (2 miles, Outstanding); Evergreen Primary School (4 miles, Good); and Strawberry Lane (4.6 miles).
The Oaks Secondary SchoolThe Grange Learning CentreEvergreen Primary SchoolStrawberry Lane
The trust
Norman Cornish Academy is one of 8 schools run by Horizons Specialist Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 17 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 59% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college.
Who goes there
78.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Norman Cornish Academy has an education, health and care plan (64 of 64 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Norman Cornish Academy provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bishop Auckland Rail Station, about 3.7 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 185 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 County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: 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
Norman Cornish Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as The Meadows School (URN 131905), it was rated Requires Improvement in December 2023.
At a Glance
78.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Norman Cornish Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Norman Cornish Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Norman Cornish Academy is in County Durham; for families living there:
- County Durham's school travel policy: School transport policies and strategies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school travel
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 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
85%
Available places
64 pupils
75 places
11 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Spennymoor
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Spennymoor
Across County Durham council
Places available
5,720
Applications
4,986
Got 1st preference
94.2%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
64
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Norman Cornish Academy provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
64
Total Pupils
52
Boys
12
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
4.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,239
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at The Meadows School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published for The Meadows School (URN 131905), the school Norman Cornish Academy replaced. There are no figures for Norman Cornish Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
29.9%
Overall absence
59.1%
Persistent absence
66
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
Norman Cornish Academy
Questions parents ask about Norman Cornish Academy
What are GCSE results like at Norman Cornish Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Norman Cornish Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 9.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Norman Cornish Academy's Ofsted rating?
Norman Cornish Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as The Meadows School (URN 131905), it was rated Requires Improvement in December 2023.
What is the catchment area for Norman Cornish Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Norman Cornish Academy is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Norman Cornish Academy?
Norman Cornish Academy has around 64 pupils on roll. 78% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Norman Cornish Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Norman Cornish Academy provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
How do I apply to Norman Cornish Academy?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Norman Cornish 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 Norman Cornish Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Norman Cornish Academy?
Norman Cornish Academy is at Whitworth Lane, Spennymoor, DL16 7QW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)