Whitburn Church of England Academy
Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7EFOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Whitburn Church of England Academy is a secondary school in Sunderland for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 62 schools in South Tyneside. It ranks 2nd of 13 secondary schools in Sunderland. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2019.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 12 November 2019, report published 3 December 2019
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 14 January 2025
Pupils enjoy coming to school. They make the most of their time in lessons and take advantage of the rich extra-curricular life of the school. The school is ambitious for pupils and encourages them to have high aspirations. For example, students in the sixth form aspire to a range of university courses and apprenticeships. The majority of pupils rise to the expectations set by the school and achieve well. This is also true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The positive ethos and culture of the school shine through in the character of the pupils and the values they demonstrate. Pupils are friendly, welcoming and confident. They show tolerance and respect for others. Pupils behave well. Lessons are calm and pupils conduct themselves well at social times, for example in the dining room and when moving around corridors. Pupils work very well together during lessons when there is group work. Students in the sixth form demonstrate their leadership skills through supporting younger pupils with reading or leading sports activities. Pupils of all ages engage in clubs and activities. These range from the extremely popular art and computing clubs through to football teams, which recently enjoyed success playing in the final stages of the national cup competition.
What the school should improve
- In a minority of subjects, assessment is not used as effectively as it could be. This means that pupils' understanding is not routinely checked and that assessment is not used consistently enough to inform future teaching. The school should ensure that assessment is used to clearly identify misconceptions and to inform future teaching.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
201 pupils in the year group
A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25
113 students
Average A level grade C+, England average B-
Pupil numbers and mix
1,204 pupils on roll, with places for 1,265
Schools near Whitburn Church of England Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monkwearmouth Academy | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 45.8 |
| Harton Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 42.6 |
| Red House Academy | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 44.8 |
| St Wilfrid's RC College | 3 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Attainment 8: 48.2 |
| Mortimer Community College | 3 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Attainment 8: 41.9 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- WHITBURN CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr John Crowe
- Phone
- 01915293712
- Address
- Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7EF
- Local authority
- South Tyneside
- URN
- 136386
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.