Fatfield Academy

About Fatfield Academy

Fatfield Academy has been rated Good by Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in 2016, and an ungraded inspection in 2024 confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which stands at 82%. That is a strong result, sitting 15 percentage points above the Sunderland local authority average of 67%. It places Fatfield 9th out of 73 primary schools in the borough, comfortably inside the top 10. The school also performs well at the higher standard: 18% of pupils achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects, while 41% hit the higher threshold in reading and 41% in maths. Average scaled scores of 108 in reading and 109 in maths further underline solid academic foundations.

Digging into the Ofsted breakdown, the school’s leadership and management and early years provision were both judged Good. The previous inspection in 2014 had rated the school as Requires Improvement, so the improvement to Good in 2016 represents a clear upward trajectory, and the 2024 ungraded visit confirmed that standard has been maintained. In writing, 82% of pupils met the expected standard and 27% reached the higher standard. Maths is a particular strength: 95% of pupils met the expected standard, well above the national average. The school’s ranking in the North East region is 57th out of 677 primary schools, placing it in the top 9% regionally, and nationally it sits in the top 8% of all primary schools.

Fatfield Academy is a state primary for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It has 228 pupils against a capacity of 240, and is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 54 applications for 30 places, with 22 first-preference offers made. The school serves a mixed community, with 18.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a library, music rooms, a gymnasium, a sensory room, an ICT suite and a chapel. The school offers a broad range of clubs including book club, drama, art, gardening, choir and science club, plus sports such as rounders, tennis, gymnastics, cross country and netball. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. This is a school that suits families looking for strong academic outcomes in a well-resourced, inclusive setting within Sunderland.

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