Schools by area › Sunderland › Barnwell Academy
Barnwell Academy
Primary · Mixed · Ages 3–11 · Academy
Whitefield Estate, Penshaw, Houghton le Spring DH4 7RT · barnwellacademy.co.uk · 0191 584 4440
Overview
- Ofsted
- Outstanding
- 2019 framework · inspected Jun 2023
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 63%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Sunderland 66%, England 62%
- Demand for places
- 1.6
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 302
- 92 over 210 places · 144%
- Local authority
- Sunderland
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 15.2%
- First language not English
- 0.7%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, 48 families put the school first and 30 places were offered; 63% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 30 | 48 | 1.6▲ | 63% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 30 | 45 | 1.5▲ | 67% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 30 | 44 | 1.5▲ | 68% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 30 | 39 | 1.3▲ | 77% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 30 | 38 | 1.3▲ | 79% |
Results
In 2024/25, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 6% the higher standard. Across Sunderland it was 66%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ●63% | 62% | ||
| ●6% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ▼103 | 106 | ||
| ●104 | 105 | ||
| ●105 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Barnwell Academy was judged Outstanding at its last graded inspection, on 20 June 2023, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Outstanding
- Inspected
- 20 Jun 2023
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Early years | Outstanding |
Previously: Improving, ungraded inspection, Jan 2022
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Jan 2022Ungraded inspectionImproving
Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Oct 2012Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good May 2010Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Good
What parents said
92% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (51 replies, to 1 April 2024).
- Recommend
- 92%
- Replies
- 51
- 18% · 1 Apr 2024
based on the 57% who raised concerns
based on the 24% who had a child bullied