Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society, Newton Aycliffe
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Newton Aycliffe. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2022 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society are North East Centre for Autism - Aycliffe School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Walworth School (1.6 miles, Good); Forest Park School (1.6 miles, Good); and The Oaks Secondary School (5.3 miles, Outstanding).
North East Centre for Autism - Aycliffe SchoolWalworth SchoolForest Park SchoolThe Oaks Secondary School
Who goes there
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society provides for pupils with autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newton Aycliffe Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Young People's centre (s-bound), 330 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2016 inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
0 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
Area Demand Pressure - Newton Aycliffe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newton Aycliffe
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.
Inspection History(9)
Special educational needs provision
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society provides for pupils with autism.
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society
What is Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society's Ofsted rating?
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society?
No fixed boundary. When Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society have specialist SEN provision?
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society provides for pupils with autism. Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society 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 Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 0 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 Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society?
Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society is at Thornbeck College (Aycliffe Campus), Cedar Drive, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 6UN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)