St Aidan's Catholic Academy
99%
Capacity
992
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About St Aidan's Catholic Academy
St Aidan's Catholic Academy in Sunderland is a boys' secondary school with a sixth form that is running very close to capacity, with 992 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 1,000. The school's intake reflects a significant level of disadvantage: 19.4 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average for secondary schools. Despite this, the school is heavily oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 academic year, it received 285 applications for 192 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.48. Of those, 187 were first-preference applications, and 187 first-preference offers were made, meaning virtually every family that put it first got a place, but demand still far outstrips supply. The school is Roman Catholic in character, and its headteacher is Anne-Marie Whitten. It is one of only a handful of single-sex state schools in the area, and the only boys' school in Sunderland rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
Academically, St Aidan's is the top-performing school in Sunderland for Progress 8, with a score of 0.37, placing it first out of 17 schools in the local authority and in the top 25 per cent nationally. This is a strong result, especially when compared with the local authority average Progress 8 score of -0.31. Pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 51.5, and 70.6 per cent secured a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The school also has a strong focus on the English Baccalaureate, with 76.5 per cent of pupils entered for the EBacc suite of subjects. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the school's value-added score is -0.43, which is below average, and the average points per entry is 30.06, equivalent to a grade C. However, 17.5 per cent of entries achieved grades AAB or higher. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025, the school was rated Outstanding across all areas, including quality of education, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes, with the sixth form judged Good.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, chapel, sports hall, tennis courts, and a sixth form centre. Its SEND provisions cover ten categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 96 per cent of respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, and 79 per cent strongly agreed that the school has high expectations for their child. The school runs a broad programme of clubs and activities, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and a range of sports. For families seeking a Catholic boys' school with strong academic outcomes at GCSE, a clear ethos, and a sixth form that is good but not outstanding, St Aidan's is a compelling choice. Its oversubscription means early application is essential, particularly for families outside the catchment area.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Boys |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Willowbank Road, Sunderland, Sunderland, SR2 7HJ |
| Headteacher | Anne-Marie Whitten |
| Local Authority | Sunderland |
| Number of Pupils | 992 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.4% |
| School Capacity | 992 / 1,000 (99% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Feb 2025Quality of Education
Outstanding
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 25 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.37)
712th of 3,141
Nationally
13th of 142
In North East
1st of 17
In Sunderland
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
33.4
'22/23
30.5
'23/24
30.1
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2344%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 144 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)44%
- FE college38%
- Employment8%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Not sustained4%
96% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2367%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 83 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
31%
Russell Group
33%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)67%
- Employment17%
- Apprenticeship10%
- Not sustained4%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Mathematics19
- Chemistry16
- Economics16
- Business Studies:Single15
- Biology14
- English Language11
- Geography11
- History8
- Psychology7
- Sociology6
- Media/Film/Tv Studies5
- Spanish4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
96 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed192
285
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
187 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.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British58.2%
- Asian22.1%
- Mixed2.4%
- White (other)1.9%
- Black0.8%
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
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half 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.
15
Total schools
12
Oversubscribed
10
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Aidan's Catholic 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
Willowbank Road, Sunderland
Sunderland, SR2 7HJ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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