English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Sunderland

About English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Sunderland

English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School in Sunderland is a smaller-than-average primary, currently teaching 192 pupils against a capacity of 210. That leaves some physical headroom, but demand is clearly strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 30 applications for just 22 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.36. Of those 30 applications, 20 were first-preference choices, and all 20 received offers — meaning every family who put it first got in, but anyone listing it lower faced a tougher route. The school serves a community with above-average disadvantage: 33.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national primary average of around 23%. As a Roman Catholic voluntary-aided school, its admissions criteria will prioritise faith families, which likely shapes the intake as much as the local catchment. The school also offers nursery provision, so children can join from age three.

Academically, English Martyrs sits comfortably in the top half of schools nationally. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 70% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — three percentage points above the local authority average of 67%. That places it 27th out of 73 primary schools in Sunderland, and 235th out of 677 in the North East. The school's strongest subject at KS2 was maths, where pupils achieved an average scaled score of 104 and 78% hit the expected level. Reading and writing both sat at 74% and 78% expected respectively. Higher-attaining pupils are a smaller group: just 4% reached the higher standard in maths and the reading, writing and maths combined measure, though 22% did so in writing. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in February 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained at Good, a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2012, which rated the school as Requires Improvement.

The school is well equipped for a primary of its size, with facilities including a gymnasium, sports hall, library, playing fields, an ICT suite, a chapel and a Forest School area. Sports provision covers football, cricket, dance, gymnastics, rounders and cross country, while clubs include chess, gardening and an eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder — though it's worth noting that in the Parent View survey, no respondents answered the question on SEND support, so it's hard to gauge satisfaction in that area. The wider picture from 19 parent responses is positive: 95% agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy, and 95% felt safe. 79% would recommend the school to other parents. This is a solid, improving Catholic primary that suits families who value faith-based education, a strong local reputation and a broad range of on-site facilities.

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