Farringdon Community Academy
64%
Capacity
675
Pupils
1.4x
Demand
About Farringdon Community Academy
Farringdon Community Academy in Sunderland is a mixed 11-16 secondary school that currently educates 675 pupils against a capacity of 1,050, meaning it has significant room to grow. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage: 44.6% of its students are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Demand for places is strong, however. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 226 applications for 161 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.4, and made 150 offers to first-preference applicants. This suggests that despite spare capacity overall, the school is a popular choice for local families. The headteacher is Jordan Bedford, and the school has no religious character. It does not have a sixth form, so students leave at 16.
Academically, Farringdon’s most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023 rated it Requires Improvement across all areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This is the same rating it received in its previous inspection in 2019. On the key Progress 8 measure, the school scored -0.04, which is above the Sunderland local authority average of -0.31 and places it 5th out of 17 schools in the LA. Its Attainment 8 score was 45.9, and 57.4% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The school’s EBacc entry rate was 19.9%, with 18.4% achieving a grade 5 or above in the EBacc. Nationally, Farringdon ranks in the 52nd percentile for Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of schools but comfortably above the local average.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a library, theatre, swimming pool, music rooms, art studios, and an ICT suite. Sports provision is extensive, with hockey, swimming, badminton, martial arts, cricket, tennis, rugby, football, and rowing all on offer. Clubs include drama, choir, orchestra, chess, Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise, and a film club. SEND provision covers eight areas, including specific learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying should be aware that a first-preference application is advisable. Given its strong Progress 8 relative to the local authority, and its broad extracurricular offer, Farringdon may suit families looking for a community secondary with solid academic foundations and plenty of activities, particularly those who value swimming and rowing facilities.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Allendale Road, Sunderland, Sunderland, SR3 3EL |
| Headteacher | Jordan Bedford |
| Local Authority | Sunderland |
| Number of Pupils | 675 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 44.6% |
| School Capacity | 675 / 1,050 (64% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 Jan 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 8 Mar 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.04)
1629th of 3,141
Nationally
50th of 142
In North East
5th of 17
In Sunderland
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed161
226
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
150 families put this school as their 1st choice (66% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British90.5%
- Mixed2.5%
- White (other)1.0%
- Asian0.5%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
8
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Farringdon Community Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Allendale Road, Sunderland
Sunderland, SR3 3EL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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