Highfield Academy

About Highfield Academy

Of the 42 families who put Highfield Academy as their first choice for a Reception place in 2025/26, every single one was offered a spot. That’s a clean sweep for first-preference applicants, though the school was technically oversubscribed overall, with 65 applications chasing 48 places — a ratio of 1.35 applicants per spot. It suggests a school that local parents know well and trust, even if it doesn’t generate the frantic scramble of the most oversubscribed primaries in Sunderland. The headteacher, Melanie Davies, leads a mixed, non-religious primary for children aged 2 to 11, and the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 judged it Good overall, with leadership and management also rated Good. That was an ungraded visit, meaning inspectors confirmed the school had held onto its Good rating since its previous graded inspection in 2013, when it had been rated Requires Improvement. So there’s a clear upward trajectory on paper.

Academically, Highfield sits comfortably above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 70% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Sunderland local authority average of 67%. That places the school 24th out of 73 primaries in the area, and in the top third nationally. Digging into the individual subjects, 80% hit the expected standard in writing, 77% in both reading and maths, and the average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths — both a touch above the national benchmark of 100. Where the school is less strong is at the higher standard: just 9% of pupils achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects, and around 30% hit the higher mark in each subject individually. That’s not unusual for a school with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals — 50.8% — but it’s worth noting if you’re looking for a setting that stretches the most able.

The school is well equipped for a primary, with a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, art studios, music rooms and a library, plus a chapel on site. It offers a solid range of sports including swimming, netball, tennis and athletics, and clubs such as drama, choir and chess. For families with children who have additional needs, the SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autism, and physical or sensory impairments. There’s also a nursery on site for children from age 2. Highfield is a good fit for families in Sunderland who want a solid, improving state primary with strong core results, a welcoming feel for first-preference applicants, and a genuinely inclusive approach to SEND — without the pressure of a highly selective or faith-based intake.

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