Villa Real School
Villa Real School is a council special school in Consett for boys and girls aged 2 to 19. It has 125 pupils. About 63 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2020.
Villa Real Road, Consett, DH8 6BH01207 503651villarealschool.co.ukMrs Jill Bowe headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 21 January 2020, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 14 May 2025 said: “Improved significantly”.
This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 14 May 2025 | Ungraded | Improved significantly |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
6 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
The government hasn't published this school's headline results. Fewer than eleven pupils sat the exams, so the figures could identify individual children.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
10 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 4 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | 62% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 84.0 | 83.0 | – | 92.0 | 85.0 | – | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | – | 84.0 | – | 87.0 | 80.0 | – | 104.1 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 89.0 | 87.0 | – | – | – | – | 104.9 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -8.2 | +0.2 | +0.5 | – | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -7.5 | -1.2 | -1.8 | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
A level and sixth-form results, 2023
15 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Students | 15 |
| Average A level grade | NE |
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to County Durham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in County Durham with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (63), Severe learning difficulty (25), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (18), language and communications needs (11), Physical disability (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 125 | 119 | 120 | 124 | 104 | 101 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 61% | 56% | 53% | 50% | 55% | 53% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 6% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.8% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 7.4% | 9.3% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 7.8% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 13.4% | 7.4% | 9.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 24.5% | 36.2% | 40.4% | 45.4% | 25.6% | 31.2% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 6 pupils who left in 2021/22 were a year later.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers |
|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 100% | 100% |
| Education | 100% | 100% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 0% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 0% | 0% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consett Junior School | Council | 370 m | 228 | Good 2023 | 52 | Compare |
| Beechdale Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 380 m | 61 | Outstanding 2023 | – | Compare |
| Consett Academy | Academy | 500 m | 1,493 | Good 2023 | 46 | Compare |
| St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Consett | Academy | 770 m | 372 | Not inspected | 18 | Compare |
| Consett Infant School | Council | 810 m | 153 | Good 2023 | 32 | Compare |
| Learning for Life | Special post 16 institution | 840 m | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Leadgate Primary School - Split Site | Council | 0.6 miles | 180 | Good 2023 | 20 | Compare |
| Delta Independent School | Independent | 0.8 miles | 46 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Villa Real School a good school?
Villa Real School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in January 2020.
What is Villa Real School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Villa Real School good at its last full inspection on 21 January 2020. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Villa Real School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Villa Real School have?
125 pupils aged 2 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026.
What is attendance like at Villa Real School?
Pupils were in school 91.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 25% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Villa Real School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It is a special school for autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Villa Real School have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
Does Villa Real School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2023 was NE.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Villa Real Road, Consett, DH8 6BH
- Telephone
- 01207 503651
- Website
- www.villarealschool.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jill Bowe
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Council special school (Community special school, special schools)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 2-19, with nursery, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Ward
- Consett North
- Constituency
- Blaydon and Consett
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 114345 · LAESTAB 8407028 · UKPRN 10016027
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.