Westlands Academy, Stockton-on-Tees
Westlands Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Stockton-on-Tees, part of Horizons Specialist Academy Trust. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, ended in a report card: 3 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in December 2016.
- Ofsted report card
- 3 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Westlands Academy in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 18 November 2025 inspection grades Westlands Academy on 6 areas: 3 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have had a significant impact on improving pupils' attendance."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Pupils flourish because the school accurately identifies and effectively addresses their needs."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and trustees have a clear, ambitious vision that prioritises pupils' best interests."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils generally achieve well across the curriculum."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum and the quality of teaching."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Staff demonstrate commitment to pupils' personal development and wellbeing."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching provides more opportunities for pupils to systematically revisit prior learning across the curriculum and to practise this learning to secure their long-term understanding"; "Leaders should strengthen their analysis of pupils' participation in the personal development programme to ensure that all pupils benefit fully from an extensive, tailored range of experiences".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Westlands Academy are Transitions College (1.7 miles); Discovery Special Academy (2 miles, Good); Hartwell School (2.1 miles, Good); and Beverley School (2.3 miles, Good).
Transitions CollegeDiscovery Special AcademyHartwell SchoolBeverley School
The trust
Westlands 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, 47% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college.
Who goes there
72.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Westlands Academy has an education, health and care plan (85 of 87 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Westlands Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 85 places, 78 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Thornaby Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Christ the King School (b), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Westlands Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Westlands Academy issued 44 suspensions, 53 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 11 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Westlands Academy
Pupils at Westlands Academy thrive because of targeted care and a positive culture of inclusion. Every pupil faces unique challenges. Most pupils have an education health and care plan for social, emotional and mental health. Pupils attend regularly and succeed because staff act quickly to remove barriers. For many pupils, the school is a safe haven, a place where they feel secure and belong. Bullying is rare. The curriculum helps pupils understand risks and consequences in the wider world. For example, pupils discuss the impact of knife crime with trusted adults. These conversations build empathy, understanding and confidence to explore ideas. Staff create a positive learning environment that helps pupils to achieve well. Clear routines and respectful relationships support pupils to meet high expectations for their behaviour and progress through the curriculum. Although pupils generally achieve well, there are some occasions where key knowledge is not revisited systematically enough. Some pupils struggle to retain their learning over time. Pupils take pride in their achievements. They enjoy rewards assemblies and earning ‘Westies' to spend in the school 'tuck shop'. They collect points to access enrichment activities at the end of the week. The school's systems help pupils develop their character and aim high in their learning. Pupils leave school with qualifications beyond their initial expectations. Despite challenges, most pupils are ready for their next steps in education, employment or training. The school shapes the curriculum around pupils' aspirations and local labour market needs. Subjects such as construction and hospitality are popular choices. The personal development programme is effective and includes enrichment built into the school day. Pupils are beginning to play a role in their community, including organising a local food bank.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that teaching provides more opportunities for pupils to systematically revisit prior learning across the curriculum and to practise this learning to secure their long-term understanding.
- Leaders should strengthen their analysis of pupils' participation in the personal development programme to ensure that all pupils benefit fully from an extensive, tailored range of experiences.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 18 November 2025). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Westlands Academy excels at creating a safe, nurturing environment where every pupil feels valued and supported. The school removes barriers to learning through tailored interventions and strong partnerships with families and external agencies. Pupils make positive progress and develop confidence through a curriculum that connects to real-life issues and prepares them well for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Excellent safeguarding culture with open communication and active management of concerns
- Strong attendance and behaviour improvements through tailored support and relationship-focused approaches
- Highly inclusive provision that accurately identifies and addresses individual pupil needs
- Effective leadership with clear vision and ambitious goals for vulnerable pupils
- Strong partnerships with external agencies and families to support pupil wellbeing
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to remember and use key knowledge systematically
- Lack of strategic overview of which pupils benefit from the full range of personal development activities
- Need for more consistent revisiting of core knowledge across the curriculum to help pupils retain learning over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor education, summer camps, SHAPE 50 activity programme, food bank projects, form-time reading, school library, rewards assemblies, enhanced physical education, careers education with work experience
Westlands Academy is a specialist school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs that provides a safe, inclusive environment where pupils thrive. Leaders have successfully created a positive culture of care with strong attendance and behaviour outcomes.
At a Glance
72.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Westlands Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Westlands Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Westlands Academy is in Stockton-on-Tees; for families living there:
Apply to Stockton-on-Tees for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 9 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
2 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 Stockton-on-Tees is 9 (the median across 87 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
102%
Over capacity
87 pupils
85 places
2 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Stockton-on-Tees
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stockton-on-Tees
Across Stockton-on-Tees council
Places available
2,586
Applications
2,216
Got 1st preference
94.8%
Got preferred school
99.5%
All secondary applications across Stockton-on-Tees council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
85
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Westlands Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 85 places, 78 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
87
Total Pupils
76
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
4.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,449
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
30.4%
Overall absence
60.4%
Persistent absence
91
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
Westlands Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Westlands Academy
What are GCSE results like at Westlands Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Westlands Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 5.3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Westlands Academy's Ofsted rating?
Westlands Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Westlands Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Westlands Academy is oversubscribed, Stockton-on-Tees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Westlands Academy?
Westlands Academy has around 87 pupils on roll. 72% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Westlands Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Westlands Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 85 places, 78 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Westlands Academy?
30.4% of sessions were missed at Westlands Academy in 2024/25. 60.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Westlands Academy?
Apply through Stockton-on-Tees's coordinated admissions process, naming Westlands 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 Westlands Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 9 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 2 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 Stockton-on-Tees is 9 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Westlands Academy?
Westlands Academy is at Eltham Crescent, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9RA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)