Woodham Academy Review 2026: A structured, academy-led secondary in Newton Aycliffe

A calm day-to-day climate and clear routines are a consistent theme at Woodham Academy, alongside a strong emphasis on enrichment that is organised into named academies, not just ad hoc clubs. The school is an 11 to 16 academy with a published Year 7 admission number of 220, and it sits within Eden Learning Trust.

The most recent formal inspection was in April 2023, and it confirmed a school with ambitious curriculum thinking, strong behaviour, and a deliberate focus on academic vocabulary and reading habits.

On outcomes, the school’s GCSE profile looks solid and broadly in line with the middle of the pack in England, with a local ranking that suggests it is a leading option within its immediate area. The details matter here, because Woodham does not have a sixth form, so families should consider the post 16 route early.

Woodham positions itself as a school built on trust, routines, and a culture where students can focus. The public messaging from leadership repeatedly points to calm corridors, good behaviour, and a consistent approach across the staff team.

The school is led by Mr Andrew Bell, who is listed as headteacher on the Department for Education’s establishment record.

A useful lens on culture is how the school talks about learning behaviours. The April 2023 inspection material describes a community where students understand expectations and the consequences when standards are not met, and where rewards and recognition are part of the same system. That combination usually translates into lessons that start promptly, transitions that are efficient, and fewer low-level disruptions that chip away at learning time.

Facilities and site investment are also part of the story. The school has been through a major rebuilding programme, with a new build handed over in time for the academic year in September 2024, funded through the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme, and explicitly framed around modern classrooms and specialist spaces. For families, this tends to mean better-equipped practical rooms, improved circulation, and a more coherent layout that reduces lost minutes between lessons.

Finally, trust context is current rather than historical. Government group records show the school joined Eden Learning Trust on 01 December 2023. For parents, this can matter because trust-wide approaches often shape curriculum resources, staff training, and policies that determine how consistent the experience feels across year groups.

Woodham is a mainstream state secondary with no GCSE sixth form outcomes to consider, so the headline performance discussion is centred on Key Stage 4.

Ranked 1,693rd in England and 1st in Newton Aycliffe for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is typically experienced as stable, dependable results rather than extreme highs or lows.

At GCSE level, the Attainment 8 score is 46.3. For most families, Attainment 8 is best read as a broad indicator of how well students perform across a basket of subjects, including English and mathematics. A score in the mid 40s is generally consistent with a school where outcomes are secure for many students, with the details depending heavily on prior attainment and option choices.

Progress 8 is 0.08, which indicates students make slightly above average progress compared with others nationally who had similar starting points. The practical implication is that, for many children, Woodham aims to add value rather than simply reflect intake.

Within the English Baccalaureate suite, the average EBacc APS is 4.19. That sits close to, and slightly above, the England comparator used (4.08), suggesting that outcomes across the EBacc subjects are steady. The percentage achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc element is 20.8, which is a reminder that higher EBacc thresholds remain a stretch target for a significant portion of the cohort.

A school with this profile often suits families who want a clear structure, consistent behaviour expectations, and a learning culture that supports progress for a wide range of starting points. It may be less compelling for families who are exclusively focused on very high EBacc threshold rates, although individual subject strengths and option pathways can still be excellent.

The clearest teaching and learning signal comes from how the curriculum is described and implemented.

The 2023 inspection evidence outlines a curriculum that has been organised logically, with a focus on identifying the most important knowledge students should learn and using regular recall at the start of lessons. In practice, that often looks like consistent “do now” tasks, regular retrieval, and a teaching style that reduces cognitive overload by sequencing content carefully. For students, the benefit is confidence, because they can see how today’s lesson links to last month’s learning rather than feeling each topic is isolated.

There is also a strong emphasis on academic vocabulary, threaded through subjects rather than treated as an English-only responsibility. For families, this matters because vocabulary is a lever for everything from accessing worded mathematics problems to writing more precise answers in humanities.

Where the school itself acknowledges ongoing development is assessment design. The inspection material points to some subjects using assessment very effectively, while others were still redesigning systems to give teachers the most useful information about gaps and misconceptions. That is not unusual in a secondary setting, and the practical question for parents is whether the feedback loop feels clear: do students know what they need to improve, and do teachers act quickly when misconceptions appear.

Where Students Go Next

Because Woodham finishes at 16, the post 16 planning horizon arrives earlier than at schools with a sixth form. For families, this is best treated as a feature rather than a drawback, provided the school’s careers and guidance offer is strong and students are supported to make a deliberate choice.

In practical terms, most students will move into one of three routes: sixth form colleges, school sixth forms elsewhere, or apprenticeships and training pathways. The right choice depends on prior attainment, preferred subjects, and learning style. Families who want continuity into a particular sixth form should begin mapping prerequisites in Year 9, so GCSE option choices support the intended route.

If you are comparing several local secondaries, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and Comparison Tool can help you weigh Woodham’s Progress 8 profile against schools with a sixth form, which can change the feel of Key Stage 4 priorities.

Year 7 admissions are handled through the local authority coordinated process, and Woodham’s published admission number is 220 places per year group. The school notes that applying early does not create preferential treatment, and families should follow the local authority timetable and instructions.

For secondary transfer into other year groups, the school directs families into the local authority transfer process and is frank that in-year moves require careful thought, including a structured transfer meeting when moving between County Durham secondaries.

For September 2026 entry, Durham County Council’s published timeline states:

• Applications opened on 01 September 2025

• The closing date was 31 October 2025

• Late applications were accepted up to 23 January 2026

• National Offer Day was 02 March 2026

Open events are best read as a pattern. For the 2025 to 2026 cycle, the school published a Year 6 Open Evening on 25 September 2025, plus a run of open mornings from 29 September to 03 October 2025. For future years, families should expect a similar late September to early October window and confirm dates directly via the school’s latest calendar.

Pastoral strength often shows up in safeguarding culture and how support is organised.

The most recent Ofsted inspection confirmed that pupils feel safe and that safeguarding is prioritised through staffing and support as the school has grown.

The school also participates in Operation Encompass, a multi-agency approach designed to support children affected by domestic abuse by ensuring schools receive timely information and can respond appropriately. That is a practical indicator of joined-up safeguarding and early help awareness, not just compliance.

For students who need extra help to settle, the school describes targeted support for reading, and it explicitly references investment in mental health support. For families, the best next step is to ask how this is delivered day to day, for example through mentoring, counselling capacity, or structured wellbeing curriculum time, and how quickly support can be put in place when concerns arise.

Woodham’s enrichment is unusually well-branded and structured, with academies that signal what the school wants students to take seriously beyond lessons. This matters, because named programmes often come with consistency, staff ownership, and clear progression.

Sports Academy is the most extensive, with strands that go well beyond standard school sport. The site describes a Netball Academy that competes in the South West Durham Netball League, and a Dance Academy that uses a selection process for membership and has competed beyond the region. There is also a Mountain Biking Academy with progression from on-site trails to local routes and Hamsterley Forest, plus specialist Goalkeeping and Football pathways with professional coaching involvement. For many students, the implication is clear motivation to attend regularly and commit to training, which can also reinforce routine and attendance.

Leadership Academy is framed around experiences that translate well into CV content and personal development: Duke of Edinburgh Award, student ambassador roles, and World Challenge. The value here is not only the trip or the badge, but the scaffolding around teamwork, responsibility, and communication that often shows up in interview performance later.

Eco Academy is unusually specific about what students do. Examples include gardening, surveys of insect life, creating bat and bird boxes, and running activities such as an Eco-shop or fundraising through bake sales. It even references students training as beekeepers under a local association. For students who prefer practical contribution over competitive sport, this is a credible alternative pillar.

Science Academy is also detailed. It references a Primary Science Club to support transition, a Key Stage 3 Science Club, participation in the Institute of Research in Schools programme, and science ambassadors who promote science in the community, alongside annual Science Awards. For families considering STEM routes post 16, the implication is that science is treated as a lived identity rather than only a timetable subject.

Performing Arts Academy is the creative counterpart, with regular performances across the year and opportunities that include on-stage roles as well as technical and production contributions. The school also references instrumental and vocal provision through peripatetic music services, with lessons available across common instrumental families. For students who gain confidence through performance, this can be a powerful pastoral lever as well as an artistic one.

The published school day starts with a student morning meeting at 08.40 and ends at 15.15, with six lessons, a morning break, lunch, and tutor time or assembly at the end of the day.

Key dates and term structures are published annually, including professional development days and open events. As with any secondary, families should plan around occasional early finishes on specific dates and confirm arrangements for the relevant year.

• No sixth form. The school finishes at 16, so families need a clear plan for post 16 education or training. This suits students ready for a fresh start; it may feel like an extra transition for those who want continuity to 18.

• Some enrichment pathways are selective. The Sports Academy includes programmes such as Dance Academy and Football Academy that describe selection processes. This can be motivating for students who want a performance pathway, but it can also mean not every student gets the same access to the most specialist strands.

• Assessment practice is still being refined in some subjects. The inspection evidence describes strong practice in areas like history, while noting that some subjects were redesigning assessment systems. Families may want to ask how feedback and intervention work now, particularly in Year 10 and Year 11.

• Admission timing matters. For September 2026 entry, the local authority deadline was 31 October 2025, with Offer Day on 02 March 2026. If you miss the window, choices narrow quickly, so it is sensible to map your timeline at the start of Year 6.

Woodham Academy offers a structured, modern secondary experience with steady outcomes and a clear emphasis on behaviour, routine, and purposeful enrichment. It is particularly well suited to students who benefit from consistency, enjoy committing to a defined pathway such as sport, science, leadership, or performing arts, and want a school day that prioritises learning time. Families should be comfortable with a post 16 move, because planning the next step is part of the Woodham journey.