Bede Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 2,030 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.9
Academy sponsor led
Ashington Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 964of 1,250 places
- Free school meals
- 35.4%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 150
- Ofsted
- Good, 23 March 2022Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Ashington High School (URN 122355, until 21 March 2017).
What the data says
Of the 148 pupils who finished Year 11 at Ashington Academy in 2023, 23% stayed on in Ashington Academy’s own sixth form (Northumberland average 43%), 58% went to a further education college and 9% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 58 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 55% went to university (Northumberland 48%, England 37%), and 35% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 22% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
Apprenticeships are a real route from here: 9% of leavers started one, roughly three times the England figure of 3%.
French is unusually popular at GCSE: 73% of the year group took it, against 18% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Northumberland and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Ashington Academy | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 148 | 3,151 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 93% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 81% | 81% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 23% | 43% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 0% | 13% |
| — further education college | 58% | 36% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 6% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 0% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Ashington Academy | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 58 | 1,385 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 98% | 87% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 55% | 48% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 35% | 28% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 3% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 22% | 11% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 2% | 10% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Ashington Academy | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 47.1 | 44.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 49% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 68% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 71% | 32% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.28 | 3.82 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 33% | 27% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 40.2 | 30.9 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 50.5 | 48.9 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 2% | 3% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 150 | 100% | 88% | 22% | 22% | 71% |
| English Literature | 150 | 100% | 86% | 24% | 21% | 76% |
| English Language | 150 | 100% | 89% | 12% | 20% | 70% |
| Combined Science | 127 | 85% | 65% | 1% | 9% | 59% |
| French | 110 | 73% | 18% | 12% | 29% | 53% |
| History | 78 | 52% | 41% | 15% | 26% | 38% |
| Geography | 76 | 51% | 41% | 16% | 25% | 54% |
| Business Studies | 63 | 42% | 18% | 14% | 20% | 51% |
| Religious Studies | 43 | 29% | 31% | 19% | 32% | 67% |
| Fine Art | 42 | 28% | 9% | 0% | 28% | 57% |
| Design and Technology | 34 | 23% | 11% | 24% | 23% | 53% |
| Physical Education | 32 | 21% | 11% | 13% | 24% | 75% |
| Chemistry | 23 | 15% | 23% | 39% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 23 | 15% | 23% | 43% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 23 | 15% | 23% | 43% | 46% | 100% |
| Photography | 20 | 13% | 6% | 40% | 19% | 95% |
| Music | 6 | 4% | 5% | 0% | 33% | 100% |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | 37 | 100% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 30 | 88% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 17 | 50% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 12 | 35% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Ashington Academy | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 86 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 34 | 1,089 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 35.70 | 34.22 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 26% | 17% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 13 | 38% | 31% |
| English Language | 7 | 21% | 4% |
| English Literature | 6 | 18% | 11% |
| Photography | 6 | 18% | 3% |
| Biology | 6 | 18% | 20% |
| Chemistry | 6 | 18% | 17% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Psychology | — | — | 23% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| Economics | — | — | 13% |
| Film Studies | — | — | 2% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Law | — | — | 4% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Multimedia | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Northumberland
Bedlington Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 822 pupils
76% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.4
Berwick Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 601 pupils
73% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.3
Coquet Community School
Community school · sixth form · 567 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 34.9
Cramlington Learning Village
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,989 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.7
Haydon Bridge High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 392 pupils
70% stayed in education · Attainment 8 35.1
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.