Hetton Academy
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–16 · Houghton le Spring, Sunderland
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
6.612 miles
Published by Sunderland City Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2025 figure 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Hetton Academy is a secondary school in Houghton le Spring, Sunderland for ages 11–16 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 10 December 2024. Sunderland has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2025 to 2026 entry.
Hetton Academy catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 6.612 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In 2024/25, 57% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), 2nd highest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Sunderland.
- For Year 7 in 2026 the last distance offered was 6.612 miles, further than in 2025 and the longest of 16 Sunderland secondary schools with a published last distance.
- Year 7 2026 drew 131 first-choice applications for 160 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 29 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
- 44.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, against a middle figure of 34.5% across the 8 nearest secondary schools in Sunderland.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Sunderland schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- North Road, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton le Spring, DH5 9JZ
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Sunderland
- Pupils on roll
- 681 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 44.5% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 18.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 10 December 2024
Strengths
- “Hetton Academy is a rapidly improving school.”
- “Leaders from the school, and from the Northern Education Trust, have successfully embarked on transforming the school.”
- “For example, pupils’ performance in external examinations has improved rapidly.”
To improve
- “However, some pupils are still removed too frequently from lessons, particularly those in key stage 3.”
- “However, overall suspensions remain high.”
- “On occasion, the school’s high expectations for behaviour are not met.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 29 January 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 57% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 51.8 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 131 first-preference applications, 160 offers in total, 131 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Sunderland.
- Kepier 1.6 mi Good Last distance published
- Farringdon Community Academy 4.0 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Venerable Bede Church of England Academy 4.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Sandhill View Academy 5.0 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington 5.4 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Biddick Academy 5.6 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Aidan's Catholic Academy 5.9 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Southmoor Academy 6.0 mi School remains Good Last distance published