Mortimer Community College
96%
Capacity
1,111
Pupils
2.4x
Demand
About Mortimer Community College
Mortimer Community College in South Tyneside was rated Requires Improvement in its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025, a downgrade from its previous Good rating. The inspection judged the quality of education and leadership and management as requiring improvement, while behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, were both rated Good. The most telling academic metric is the school's Progress 8 score of -0.53, which is classified as 'well below average' nationally. This means that, on average, pupils achieved half a grade less per subject than pupils with similar starting points across the country. To put that in context, the local authority average Progress 8 score for South Tyneside is -0.35, so Mortimer's result sits noticeably below the typical performance for the area. The school ranks 7th out of 8 secondary schools in the local authority on this measure, placing it in the bottom half nationally.
Looking more closely at the 2023/24 exam results, the Attainment 8 score sits at 36.6, which is the average grade pupils achieved across their best eight subjects. Just 44.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, and only 23% achieved a grade 5 or above. The proportion of pupils entering the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is low at 22%, and only 8.6% achieved it at a grade 4 or above. Breaking down the Progress 8 figures, the school's weakest area is English, where the score is -0.62, followed by the EBacc subjects at -0.58. Maths is relatively stronger at -0.43. The school has no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. In the parent view survey, 78% of the 60 respondents would recommend the school, and a strong majority agreed that their child is happy (85% strongly agree or agree) and feels safe (81% strongly agree or agree).
The school is heavily oversubscribed for Year 7 entry in 2025/26, with 567 applications for 237 places and 295 first-preference applications. It offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, astro turf, and tennis courts. Clubs include Chess, Model UN, Orchestra, Book Club, and Choir, and sports on offer range from netball and swimming to rowing and dance. The school has a broad SEND provision, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the parent view data shows a split on SEND support: 35% strongly agreed that SEND children get the support they need, but 40% strongly disagreed. With 41.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, this is a school serving a community with significant disadvantage, and its academic results reflect that challenge.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Reading Road, South Shields, South Tyneside, NE33 4UG |
| Headteacher | Simon Hignett |
| Local Authority | South Tyneside |
| Number of Pupils | 1,111 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 41.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,111 / 1,156 (96% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
14 Jan 2025Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 2 Apr 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.53)
2640th of 3,141
Nationally
110th of 142
In North East
7th of 8
In South Tyneside
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/239%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 207 pupils).
- FE college65%
- Not sustained11%
- School sixth form (stay)9%
- Employment8%
- Apprenticeship5%
88% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
60 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed237
567
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
295 families put this school as their 1st choice (52% 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 half 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
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British84.2%
- Asian8.6%
- Mixed2.5%
- White (other)2.1%
- Black0.4%
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.
13
Total schools
12
Oversubscribed
9
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 Mortimer Community College
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
Reading Road, South Shields
South Tyneside, NE33 4UG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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