Consett Academy
88%
Capacity
1,491
Pupils
1.4x
Demand
About Consett Academy
Consett Academy is a large mixed secondary school in County Durham that currently educates 1,491 pupils against a capacity of 1,700, meaning it is not yet full but is clearly in demand. The school received 394 total applications for 288 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.37, and made 266 offers to first-preference applicants. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 35.2%, which is significantly above the national average for secondary schools and reflects the school's role in serving a community with higher-than-average economic disadvantage. The school is non-denominational with no religious character, and its headteacher is Tom Urwin. The sixth form is officially part of the academy, offering an all-through secondary experience from age 11 to 18.
Academically, Consett Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2020. All five inspected categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision — were judged Good. At KS4, the school's Progress 8 score is -0.2, which is below average nationally but almost exactly in line with the County Durham local authority average of -0.21. The Attainment 8 score is 44.2, and 56.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. Only 4.8% of pupils entered the EBacc, and the EBacc average point score is 3.53. At A-level, the school's value-added score is -0.45, placing it in the below-average band, with an average points per entry of 30.75, equivalent to a grade C.
The school offers a strong range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a sports hall, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include cricket, netball, cross country, martial arts, rounders, and dance, while extracurricular clubs cover chess, coding, debate, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and an eco club. The school's SEND provisions are comprehensive, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, visual impairment, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. Consett Academy is a good fit for families in County Durham who want a large, inclusive secondary with a sixth form, particularly those who value the breadth of facilities and the recent improvement trajectory from Requires Improvement to Good.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Ashdale Road, Consett, County Durham, DH8 6LZ |
| Headteacher | Tom Urwin |
| Local Authority | County Durham |
| Number of Pupils | 1,491 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 35.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,491 / 1,700 (88% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 18 Jun 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.20)
2016th of 3,141
Nationally
71st of 142
In North East
19th of 31
In County Durham
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
36.4
'22/23
28.5
'23/24
30.8
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2329%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 256 pupils).
- FE college50%
- School sixth form (stay)29%
- Not sustained9%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Employment6%
91% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2352%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 56 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
20%
Russell Group
24%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)52%
- Employment21%
- Not sustained9%
- Further education5%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Other education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology19
- Mathematics16
- Geography15
- Biology14
- Chemistry11
- Sociology11
- History9
- Physics8
- Business Studies:Single6
- Computer Studies / Computing6
- English Literature6
- English Language5
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed288
394
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
266 families put this school as their 1st choice (68% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: consett-academy.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British94.6%
- White (other)2.6%
- Mixed1.3%
- Asian0.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Consett Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Ashdale Road, Consett
County Durham, DH8 6LZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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