Harton Academy
104%
Capacity
1,672
Pupils
2.4x
Demand
About Harton Academy
Harton Academy is a popular choice among South Tyneside families, with 304 first-preference applications for 268 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, resulting in an oversubscription ratio of 2.36. Of those first-preference applicants, 265 received offers, indicating strong local demand. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024 rated it Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2022. Parents will note that inspectors awarded Outstanding for both sixth-form provision and personal development, while behaviour and attitudes, leadership, and quality of education were all rated Good. The school is large, with 1,672 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,601, and has a higher-than-average proportion of students eligible for free school meals at 35 per cent.
Academically, Harton Academy's Progress 8 score of -0.48 places it below the national average and ranks it sixth out of eight secondary schools in South Tyneside, with a percentile of 75 in the local authority. This is below the local authority average Progress 8 score of -0.35. The school's Attainment 8 score is 43.3, and 60.3 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, dropping to 39.3 per cent at grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.97, with 49.6 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc combination. At sixth form, outcomes are stronger: the school's value-added score is 0.12, placing it in the Average band, and students achieved an average of B- per entry, with 15.1 per cent gaining AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sixth-form centre, and extensive sports provision with rugby, football, netball, and martial arts among the options. Clubs span coding, drama, gardening, and Young Enterprise. Harton Academy has a dedicated resourced provision and supports students with a wide array of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. For families considering this school, the data suggests it is a well-subscribed community secondary that has turned around its Ofsted rating and offers a strong sixth form, though its KS4 progress scores are below the local average. It may particularly suit families who value the breadth of extracurricular activities and the specialist SEND support available.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Lisle Road, South Shields, South Tyneside, NE34 6DL |
| Headteacher | Jon Skurr |
| Local Authority | South Tyneside |
| Number of Pupils | 1,672 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 35.0% |
| School Capacity | 1,672 / 1,601 (104% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
6 Feb 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 20 Mar 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.48)
2576th of 3,141
Nationally
107th of 142
In North East
6th of 8
In South Tyneside
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
37.3
'22/23
36.5
'23/24
35.0
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
2022/2337%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 265 pupils).
- FE college46%
- School sixth form (stay)37%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment3%
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
2022/2368%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 126 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
34%
Russell Group
37%
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)68%
- Employment15%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Not sustained6%
- Other education2%
- Further education1%
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- Psychology44
- Mathematics33
- Biology32
- Geography24
- Chemistry20
- Law18
- Business Studies:Single17
- Economics17
- History17
- English Language15
- Sociology15
- English Literature14
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
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed268
632
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
304 families put this school as their 1st choice (48% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
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.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British81.7%
- Asian11.3%
- Mixed3.0%
- White (other)1.1%
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.
Better than half of schools in England.
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.
10
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
6
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Harton 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
Lisle Road, South Shields
South Tyneside, NE34 6DL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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