St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland

About St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland

St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Sunderland stands out sharply against the local authority average for primary schools. While the Sunderland average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 67%, St Mary's achieves a remarkable 90%. That puts the school second out of 73 primaries in the local authority, placing it in the top 3% nationally. The gap is even more pronounced at the higher standard: 23% of St Mary's pupils hit that top tier, compared with a much lower LA average. In maths specifically, 98% of pupils met the expected standard and 57% reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 110. Reading tells a similar story, with 95% at expected and 52% at the higher level, again averaging 110. These are not marginal differences — they represent a school that is consistently outperforming its peers across the board.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in December 2024, judged that it had improved significantly since its previous graded inspection in 2013, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The current overall effectiveness is Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. The earlier inspection in 2011 had rated overall effectiveness at 3 (Requires Improvement) and early years provision at 2. The turnaround is clear. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 87% of the 108 respondents would recommend the school, and 96% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. On behaviour, 89% agreed the school ensures good conduct, and 90% agreed their child does well. The only area where opinion is more divided is support for children with SEND — 60% agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives them the support they need, while 26% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

St Mary's is a Roman Catholic primary for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, there were 103 applications for 59 places, and all 58 first-preference applicants were offered a place. The school has a capacity of 420 but currently has 472 pupils on roll, so it is running above its official capacity. Facilities include a library, art studios, playing fields, a sensory room, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, football, netball and cross country, and clubs range from coding and chess to gardening and eco club. The school lists SEND provisions for seven areas, including dyslexia, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families prioritising strong academic outcomes within a faith-based setting, and who are comfortable with a school that is clearly popular and oversubscribed, St Mary's is a standout choice in Sunderland.

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