Gilbert Ward Academy
Princess Louise Road, Blyth, NE24 2TS
- Phase
- Free Schools
- School type
- Free schools special
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- PROSPER LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Barry Reed
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Sponsor
- Prosper Learning Trust
- Constituency
- Blyth and Ashington
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 80
- Pupils on roll
- 83
- URN
- 149842
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01916053899
About this school
Gilbert Ward Academy is a special academy in Blyth. It teaches children aged 11 to 16 and has 83 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Gilbert Ward Academy, and its latest judgement is set out 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
Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall grade. Each area of the school's work is graded on a five-point scale, and safeguarding is judged separately.
- Inclusion
- Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Needs attention
- Achievement
- Needs attention
- Attendance and behaviour
- Needs attention
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Expected standard
- Leadership and governance
- Needs attention
- Safeguarding
- Met
Trends over time
How Gilbert Ward 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 | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | — | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 25.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 26.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 29 |
| 2024/25 | 55 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 70.91%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 26.58%
- Persistent absence
- 72.31%
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Dales School1.2 miles
Special schools · Blyth
-
The Apex Academy2.6 miles
Special schools · East Hartford
-
Cramlington Hillcrest School3.5 miles
Special schools · Cramlington
-
NCEA Castle School3.8 miles
Academies · Ashington
-
Northumberland Pupil Referral Unit4.1 miles
Local authority maintained schools · Cramlington
Other schools in Blyth
- The Dales School Special schools
- Cambois Primary School Primary
- Croftway Academy Primary
- Horton Grange Primary School Primary
- Malvin's Close Academy Primary
- Morpeth Road Academy Primary
- New Delaval Primary School Primary
- Newsham Primary School Primary
- St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School Primary
- The Blyth Academy Secondary
- Bede Academy All-through
Common questions
- What ages does Gilbert Ward Academy teach?
- Gilbert Ward Academy teaches children aged 11 to 16. It is a special school in Blyth.
- Who is the headteacher of Gilbert Ward Academy?
- The headteacher of Gilbert Ward Academy is Mr Barry Reed, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Gilbert Ward Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Gilbert Ward 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 many pupils are at Gilbert Ward Academy?
- Gilbert Ward Academy has 83 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 16.
- Is Gilbert Ward Academy full?
- Gilbert Ward Academy has capacity for 80 pupils and 83 on roll (104%), 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 Gilbert Ward Academy a faith school?
- No. Gilbert Ward Academy has no designated religious character.
- Is Gilbert Ward Academy a selective school?
- No. Gilbert Ward Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is Gilbert Ward Academy part of an academy trust?
- Gilbert Ward Academy is part of PROSPER LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Gilbert Ward Academy's absence rate?
- Gilbert Ward Academy's overall absence rate is 26.6% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Gilbert Ward Academy publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Gilbert Ward Academy. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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 15 July 2026.