Portland Academy is a special academy in Sunderland for children and young people aged 11 to 19. It supports severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 11–19
- 207 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 207 (places for 180)
- Headteacher
- Mr Stephen Murphy (Headteacher)
- Part of
- The Ascent Academies' Trust
- Opened
- 1 August 2012
- Free school meals
- 63.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Sunderland
- School reference (URN)
- 138526
Needs it supports
2 needs: severe learning, PMLD
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Sunderland (4)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Sunderland (1)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Sunderland council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, November 2019; improved significantly (February 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in November 2019.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Improved significantly (ungraded inspection, February 2025).
Contact and getting there
Weymouth Road, Chapelgarth, Sunderland, SR3 2NQ
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Sunningdale School Special school · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.6 miles
- Mill Hill Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Farringdon Community Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.8 miles
All SEND schools in Sunderland
By need in Sunderland: Autism (10) · Speech and language (5) · Severe learning (5) · Physical (3) · SEMH (2) · Moderate learning (2) · PMLD (2)
Questions about Portland Academy
How do I get a place at Portland Academy?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Portland Academy. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Portland Academy support?
Severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Portland Academy take?
Aged 11 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Portland Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Portland Academy?
Weymouth Road, Chapelgarth, Sunderland, SR3 2NQ, in Sunderland.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, 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.