Monkton Academy

About Monkton Academy

Monkton Academy is a state primary in South Tyneside for pupils aged 7 to 11, led by headteacher Steph Conner. It sits 32nd out of 37 similar schools in the local authority, placing it in the bottom half of the league table. The three highest-ranked peers in the area are Biddick Hall Junior School, Cleadon Church of England Academy, and Forest View Primary, all of which score considerably higher on the same performance metric. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Biddick Hall Junior School, just 0.9 kilometres away. Monkton Academy itself has held a Good rating across its most recent inspections, including an ungraded visit in December 2024 where inspectors confirmed that standards were maintained. The school has capacity for 240 pupils but currently enrols 185, meaning there is some room for growth. Just over 44% of its pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average and reflects the demographic of the local community.

Academically, Monkton Academy’s Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 year show that 51% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is well below the South Tyneside local authority average of 64% and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally by this measure. Looking at individual subjects, 65% met the expected standard in reading, 63% in maths, and 70% in writing. At the higher standard, just 2% of pupils achieved the combined benchmark, with 26% reaching that level in reading, 7% in maths, and 5% in writing. Average scaled scores were 103 in both reading and maths, which is exactly the national average. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say whether pupils are making typical gains from their starting points. The school’s ranking in the North East region is 540th out of 677 primary schools.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a library, ICT suite, art studios, music rooms, a forest school area, a sensory room, playing fields, and a chapel. Sports on offer include dance, swimming, rounders, athletics, gymnastics and netball, while clubs range from chess and gardening to book club, drama and science club. SEND provision is listed for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, autistic spectrum disorder, multi-sensory impairment, and physical disability. Parent View responses from 16 families show a mixed picture: 56% would recommend the school, but 44% would not. Strong disagreement was notably high on several questions, particularly around how concerns are handled and how well the school communicates progress. Monkton Academy may suit families who value its range of facilities and SEND support, but those prioritising academic outcomes or strong parental satisfaction scores may want to look at higher-ranked local alternatives.

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