What is Hetton Academy's Ofsted rating?

Hetton Academy has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This is the overall judgement recorded under the inspection framework in use on the inspection date. Read the report and date before comparing it with newer inspections.

What does the admissions demand data show for Hetton Academy?

Hetton Academy recorded 131 first-choice applications and 160 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27. That is 0.8 first-choice applications per offer made. This is a historic demand signal, not an individual admission probability or a catchment boundary. Admission criteria, address, preferences and the applicant cohort also matter.

Does Hetton Academy offer SEND support?

DfE data for Hetton Academy lists these SEND need or provision categories: Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia), Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional & Mental Health, Speech, Language & Communication, Hearing Impairment, and 5 more categories. This does not guarantee a particular place or service. Contact the school's SENCO for its current provision.

What are Hetton Academy's exam results?

Hetton Academy's published exam results include: 57% achieved grade 5+ in English and Maths GCSE; Attainment 8 score of 51.8. Check the result year before comparing schools.

Hetton Academy

#3 in Best Secondary Schools in Sunderland

Parent reviews

Pupils: 681
Ages: 11–16
Gender: Mixed
School type: Academy converter

About

Hetton Academy is a state-funded secondary school in Sunderland, North East, for pupils aged 11 to 16 for boys and girls. DfE data records 681 pupils on roll and a published capacity of 900.

The latest recorded Ofsted overall judgement is Good (10 Dec 2024). The published Attainment 8 score was 51.8 for 2024/25. Admissions data records 131 first-preference applications and 160 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27.

Reporting periods vary by source — Methodology.

School Rating

8/10

Classpot Rating

Hetton Academy’s combined academic results and attendance score is in the strong band compared with mainstream state secondary schools across England for 2024/25.

8/10Academic results

Strong

The school’s Attainment 8 score was 51.8 in 2024/25. This measures average attainment across eight GCSE-level qualifications, using DfE’s subject weighting rules.

The score compares this result with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Academic attainment contributes 90% of the combined score. It measures exam or assessment results, not how much progress pupils made from their starting points.

3/10Attendance

Lower

Overall absence was 9.96% of possible school sessions in 2024/25. This includes authorised and unauthorised absence; it is not the percentage of pupils who were persistently absent.

The score compares absence with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Lower absence receives a higher score. Attendance contributes 10% of the combined score and does not on its own measure teaching quality.

NAPupil progress

Not available for 2024/25

DfE did not publish Progress 8 for 2024/25 because the required KS2 assessments were cancelled during the pandemic. Progress would compare pupils’ outcomes with those of pupils with similar earlier attainment.

Pupil progress is not included in this version of Classpot Rating. Its absence does not reduce the school’s score.

Methodology and official sources

Contact Information

01915623322 hta.northerneducationtrust.org

North Road, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring, Sunderland, DH5 9JZ

Mrs Vicky Pinkney

Details

School Type: Secondary (State)
Age Range: 11 to 16 years
Gender: Mixed
Establishment type: Academy converter
Local Authority: Sunderland

The full reporton this school

School admissions data, what the Ofsted report means for you, and how it compares to nearby schools.

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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

Not judged

Based on 10 Dec 2024 · Legacy grading · Open inspection report ↗

Inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Quality of education	Good
Behaviour & attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership & management	Good

Previous inspection · 14 Sept 2021Legacy grading · Requires improvement

Previous inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Overall effectiveness	Requires improvement
Quality of education	Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership & management	Good

Published 28 Jan 2025.

Ofsted legacy grades; compare inspection dates and frameworks.

Catchment & distance

Distance unavailable; check admission criteria with the school or council.

Admissions

Application dates · 2027/28 entry
Measure	Value
School’s local authority	Sunderland
Applications open	Usually 1 September 2026
Application deadline	31 October 2026
National offer day	1 March 2027

Apply through your home council; confirm local dates and any extra school forms.

Admissions demand · 2026/27
Measure	Value
Offers made on National Offer Day	160
First-preference applications	131
Applications (all preferences)	204
First-preference offers	131

Source: Published admissions data; follow each measure’s labelled basis, including all preferences where shown.

School performance

GCSE results

GCSE results · 2024/25
Measure	Value
Attainment 8 (average score)	51.8
English & maths: grades 9–4	79.3%
English & maths: grades 9–5	56.9%
EBacc entry	50.9%
EBacc grades 9–4	41.4%
EBacc grades 9–5	31.9%
EBacc average point score	4.83

DfE · 2024/25; compare the same year and measure (— unavailable or suppressed).

Destinations after GCSE · 2022/23
Destination	Pupils
This school’s sixth form	13.5%
Sixth-form college	0%
Further education college	56.8%
Apprenticeship	9%
Employment	3.6%
Not sustained	10.8%
Unknown	6.3%

Cohort: 111 pupils · Sustained education or employment: 82.9%

DfE destinations follow school leavers, not current pupils.

Students and teachers

18.9 pupils per qualified teacher

2025/26 · Full-time equivalent teachers, not class size.

Students

Number of pupilsPeriod not recorded: 681
School capacityPeriod not recorded: 900
Free school meals (FSM)2025/26: 44.5%
English as an additional language (EAL)2025/26: 4.3%
Attendance2024/25: 90.04%
Persistent absence (10% or more of sessions)2024/25: 28.76%

Classes & attendance

Average class size2025/26: 21.3
Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25: 123.7
Suspensions (count)2024/25: 830
Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils2024/25: 1.04
Permanent exclusions (count)2024/25: 7

More pupil data

Absence breakdown
Measure	Value
Authorised absence2024/25	4.76%
Unauthorised absence2024/25	5.2%

Ethnic background · 2025/26
Group	Pupils
White British	89.3%
White other	2.5%
Mixed	2%
Asian	1.2%
Black	3.1%
Other	0.9%

DfE school, census, workforce, absence and exclusion data; periods vary, and missing values are not zero.

Published SEND Data

Autism
Dyslexia
Mental Health
Speech & Language
Hearing
Vision
Physical
Learning Difficulty
Resourced Provision
Other

DfE data; confirm current support with the school's SENCO.

Ofsted Parent View

56% would recommend this school

59 responses · Sep 2024 – Sep 2025

Parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Happy at school	73%
Feels safe	75%
Well behaved pupils	76%
Bullying dealt with	29%

Additional parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Aware of curriculum	63%
Concerns dealt with	48%
SEND support	63%
High expectations	81%
Child does well	80%
Progress updates	73%
Subject range	79%
Clubs & activities	91%
Personal development	63%

FAQ about Hetton Academy

Results: Published results describe a past pupil cohort. Compare the same measure and reporting year; attainment and progress measure different things. Understanding secondary results.

Inspection: Read the inspection date and full report alongside the headline judgement. Schools inspected under different frameworks cannot be compared using a headline grade alone. Understanding Ofsted inspections.

Admissions: Applications and places describe past demand, not your child’s chance of an offer. Check the entry year and current admission criteria, including any priority groups. School admissions timeline.

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