Oxclose Community Academy, Washington

From the headteacher's welcome: "As Headteacher of Oxclose Community Academy, I take immense pride in our extraordinary school. Ours is a place where diversity is celebrated and every individual is valued. Here, we foster a culture where all students are encouraged to actively engage and contribute to our vibrant community."

In 2026, pupils at Oxclose Community Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.8 in Sunderland and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Sunderland and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 41.8.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.37: pupils made 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 33.9, against 46.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Art and Design, Combined Science and Information and Communication Technology.

For September 2026 entry, 158 families put Oxclose Community Academy as their first choice and 285 named it as one of their preferences, for 168 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Oxclose Community Academy are Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 45.2); Biddick Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.2); St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8); and Washington Academy (1.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41).

Oxclose Community Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Oxclose Community Academy is one of 11 schools run by The Laidlaw Schools Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.1 in 2024/25.

112 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Oxclose Community Academy (as of September 2025): 65% would recommend the school, 73% say their child is happy there and 43% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (80%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (43%).

Of the 238 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 71% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 56% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

38.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

Oxclose Community Academy has a resourced provision for physical disability: 12 places, 11 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Station Road, about 3.1 miles away in a straight line.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Raby Road - Dilston Close (nw-bound), 120 metres away.

In 2024/25, Oxclose Community Academy issued 567 suspensions, 52.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Oxclose Community Academy are Oxclose Primary Academy (0.1 miles); St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington (0.3 miles); Holley Park Academy (0.3 miles); and Lambton Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.