Schools by area › Sunderland › Thornhill Academy
Thornhill Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Sponsored academy
Thornholme Road, Sunderland SR2 7NA · thornhillschool.org.uk · 0191 500 7981
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected May 2024
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 41.4
- average Attainment 8 score. Sunderland 43.3, England 46
- Demand for places
- 0.6
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 526
- 50% of 1,050 places
- Local authority
- Sunderland
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 49.6%
- First language not English
- 41.6%
- School census 2025/26
- Trust
- Consilium Academies
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 51 families put the school first and 83 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 83 | 51 | 0.6 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 56 | 51 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 56 | 50 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 107 | 61 | 0.6 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 78 | 69 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 41.4, and 33.3% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Sunderland it was 43.3, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼41.4 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼33.3% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼53.7% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼8.3% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼3.40 | 4.09 |
Some years are for the predecessor school (URN 108860)
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 9 | +7.3 |
| Sixth form college | 0.7 | — |
| Further education | 74.3 | −4.3 |
| Apprenticeship | 1.4 | −1.2 |
| Employment | 2.8 | −5.7 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 7.6 | −0.1 |
| Activity not captured | 4.2 | +3.3 |
Ofsted
Thornhill Academy was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 1 May 2024, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 1 May 2024
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Mar 2022
Earlier inspections
Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 108860), which Ofsted links to this one.
September 2019 to November 2025
Mar 2022Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Dec 2015Inadequate
Leadership and management Inadequate Safeguarding Effective Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 108860)
What parents said
97% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (70 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 97%
- Replies
- 70
- 12% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 69% who raised concerns
based on the 56% who had a child bullied
based on 32 parents (46%) with SEND