Oxclose Community Academy
Dilston Close, Oxclose Village, Washington, NE38 0LNOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Oxclose Community Academy is a secondary school in Washington for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 122 schools in Sunderland. It ranks 3rd of 4 secondary schools in Washington. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 19 November 2024, report published 16 December 2024
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 19 November 2024
Oxclose Community Academy is an inclusive and welcoming place. Pupils enjoy attending this school and they feel safe. The school's ethos of 'value diversity, strive for excellence' is central to all that it does. Pupils respect one another. Discrimination is not tolerated. Pupils are well-mannered and polite, both during lessons and at social times. Staff form strong relationships with pupils and care deeply about their well-being. This allows pupils from all backgrounds to become more confident and independent. The school has high expectations for pupils' academic and wider achievements. There is a broad personal development and careers programme, which means that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training. As a result, most pupils now remain in their chosen pathway when they leave school. Pupils, parents and carers speak positively about the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities and activities on offer. These reflect the school's ethos and include clubs such as 'Girls Enjoying Maths', 'Rockin' Readers' and 'The Great Oxclose Bake Off'. Pupils are keen to help others through volunteering. For example, each year they organise and run a Christmas party for elderly residents from the local community.
What the school should improve
- Sometimes, teachers move pupils' learning on too quickly. Where this happens, pupils do not deepen or extend their knowledge and understanding of the different concepts taught. The school should make sure that all staff adapt their teaching effectively to allow all pupils to learn securely.
- The attendance of some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, is not as high as it could be. This means that these pupils are missing out on valuable learning time. The school should embed the revised attendance strategy effectively to ensure that all pupils attend more frequently.
- Some parents feel that the school's communication processes are not always effective. Consequently, they are not always positive about the school's actions and decisions. The school should ensure that communication supports all parents to engage positively and fully in their children's education.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
213 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
1,029 pupils on roll, with places for 1,050
Schools near Oxclose Community Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy | 1 mile | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Attainment 8: 46.6 |
| Biddick Academy | 1 mile | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Attainment 8: 42.5 |
| St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 48.9 |
| Washington Academy | 1 mile | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Attainment 8: 33.1 |
| Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead | 3 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 53.2 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- THE LAIDLAW SCHOOLS TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Amanda Parkes
- Phone
- 01914195120
- Address
- Dilston Close, Oxclose Village, Washington, NE38 0LN
- Local authority
- Sunderland
- URN
- 138923
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.