Barnwell Academy
Whitefield Estate, Penshaw, Houghton le Spring, DH4 7RT
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- TYNE AND WEAR LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Kristopher Sadler
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Houghton and Sunderland South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 302
- URN
- 140700
- Local authority
- Sunderland
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01915844440
About this school
Barnwell Academy is a primary academy in Houghton le Spring. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 302 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 29 | 23 | 32 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 76% | 87% | 63% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 17% | 17% | 6% |
| Expected standard in reading | 86% | 87% | 75% |
| Expected standard in maths | 86% | 87% | 81% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 90% | 91% | 81% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 107.0 | 108.0 | 103.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 107.0 | 107.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | +2.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.70 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +2.80 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Barnwell Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Sunderland average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 76% | 60.4% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 87% | 63.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 63% | 63% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 282 |
| 2023/24 | 271 |
| 2024/25 | 317 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Barnwell Academy compares
Barnwell Academy ranked 48th of 75 primary schools in Sunderland for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 47% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 91% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 63% | 3.7% | 21.5% | 302 | — |
| Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw | 67% | 3.8% | 12.7% | 291 | 0.2 miles |
| New Penshaw Academy | 58% | 7.6% | 48.7% | 112 | 0.3 miles |
| Shiney Row Primary School | 71% | 6.8% | 48.8% | 249 | 0.4 miles |
| Fatfield Academy | 74% | 5% | 20% | 233 | 1.3 miles |
| Bournmoor Primary School | 65% | 6.2% | 40.3% | 66 | 1.4 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 20 June 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report14 January 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 21.53%
- English as an additional language
- 0.3%
- Overall absence
- 3.67%
- Persistent absence
- 6.52%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw0.2 miles
Primary · Houghton le Spring
-
New Penshaw Academy0.3 miles
Primary · Houghton le Spring
-
Shiney Row Primary School0.4 miles
Primary · Houghton le Spring
-
Fatfield Academy1.3 miles
Primary · Washington
-
Bournmoor Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Houghton le Spring
Other schools in Houghton le Spring
Barnwell Academy ranks 10th of the 17 ranked primary schools in Houghton le Spring.
- Bernard Gilpin Primary School Primary
- Bournmoor Primary School Primary
- Burnside Academy Inspires Primary
- Dubmire Primary Primary
- Easington Lane Primary School Primary
- East Rainton Primary School Primary
- Eppleton Academy Primary School Primary
- Gillas Lane Primary Academy Primary
- Hetton Lyons Primary School Primary
- Hetton Primary School Primary
- New Penshaw Academy Primary
- Newbottle Primary Academy Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Barnwell Academy teach?
- Barnwell Academy teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Houghton le Spring.
- Who is the headteacher of Barnwell Academy?
- The headteacher of Barnwell Academy is Mr Kristopher Sadler, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Barnwell Academy last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Barnwell Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Barnwell Academy?
- Barnwell Academy has 302 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Barnwell Academy full?
- Barnwell Academy has capacity for 210 pupils and 302 on roll (144%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Barnwell Academy a faith school?
- No. Barnwell Academy has no designated religious character.
- Does Barnwell Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Barnwell Academy as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Barnwell Academy?
- Barnwell Academy is part of TYNE AND WEAR LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Barnwell Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 76% in 2022/23 and 63% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Barnwell Academy rank locally?
- Barnwell Academy ranked 48th of 75 primary schools in Sunderland for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 47% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 91% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Barnwell Academy's absence rate?
- Barnwell Academy's overall absence rate is 3.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Barnwell Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Barnwell Academy's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 1 July 2026.