Classpot

Boldon School

South Tyneside, NE35 9DZSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
1 Good · 3 Requires improvement
Feb 2025
Progress 8
-0.59
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
0.6×
Not oversubscribed
138 1st-choice / 218 places
Ranking
#2,724
of 3,141 nationally

About Boldon School

Boldon School is a mixed state secondary in South Tyneside for pupils aged 11 to 16, and it sits at the bottom of the local authority's performance table for Progress 8. Among the nine secondary schools in the borough, it ranks eighth, with a Progress 8 score of -0.59. The top-performing peers in the area are Whitburn Church of England Academy (scoring -0.11), Jarrow School (-0.16), and St Wilfrid's RC College (-0.27), all of which achieve results closer to the national average. The school is led by headteacher Louise Pippin and has a capacity of 1,100, with 1,064 pupils currently on roll. A significant proportion of its intake — 52 per cent — is eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, receiving 266 applications for 218 places, with 138 first-preference offers made. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, judged the school as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2019.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressNew Road, Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside, NE35 9DZ
HeadteacherLouise Pippin
Local AuthoritySouth Tyneside
Number of Pupils1,064
Free School Meals (FSM)52.0%
School Capacity1,064 / 1,100 (97% full)

The full report on this school

What 86 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

18 Feb 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 23 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
ICT SuiteSixth Form CentreLibraryGymnasiumArt StudiosDining HallChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

17

Sports

CricketTennisHockeySwimmingRugbyAthleticsDanceRounders

Clubs & Activities

DramaChoirCodingBook ClubDuke of EdinburghOrchestraYoung EnterpriseNewspaperDebate

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyMulti-SensoryOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Boldon School

Boldon School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.