Whitburn Church of England Academy is a mainstream secondary school in Sunderland, South Tyneside, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 187 of its 1,204 pupils (15.5%) were getting SEN support and 14 (1.2%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,204 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in South Tyneside.
15.5% get SEN support
187 of 1,204 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
1.2% have an EHC plan
14 of 1,204 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Lower than the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health61
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia44
- Autism35
- Moderate learning difficulty17
- Physical disability12
- Speech, language and communication8
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,204 (places for 1,265)
- Headteacher
- Mr John Crowe (Principal)
- Part of
- Whitburn Church of England Academy
- Faith
- Church of England
- Free school meals
- 9.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- South Tyneside
- School reference (URN)
- 136386
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask South Tyneside council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Rated Good, November 2019; standards maintained (January 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in November 2019.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, January 2025).
Contact and getting there
Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7EF
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Epinay Business and Enterprise School Special school · Ages 4–18 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.4 miles
- Harton Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 2.6 miles
- Bamburgh School Special school · Ages 3–16 2.9 miles
- Northern Saints Church of England Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 3.3 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Whitburn Village Primary School Primary · Ages 2–11 · SEN support 9.8%, EHC plans 0.8% 0.6 miles
- Marsden Primary School Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 25.4%, EHC plans 1.4% 0.9 miles
- Monkwearmouth Academy Secondary · Ages 11–19 · SEN support 11.6%, EHC plans 0.9% 1.4 miles
All mainstream schools in South Tyneside SEND schools in South Tyneside
Questions about Whitburn Church of England Academy
How many pupils at Whitburn Church of England Academy have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 187 of the 1,204 pupils (15.5%) were getting SEN support and 14 (1.2%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Whitburn Church of England Academy?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (61 pupils), dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (44 pupils) and autism (35 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Whitburn Church of England Academy?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Whitburn Church of England Academy?
Through South Tyneside council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Whitburn Church of England Academy?
You can ask for Whitburn Church of England Academy to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Whitburn Church of England Academy have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Harton Academy, about 2.6 miles away.
Where is Whitburn Church of England Academy?
Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7EF, in South Tyneside.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.