St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington
102%
Capacity
1,588
Pupils
2.2x
Demand
About St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington
St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington, holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. The most telling academic metric for this large secondary school is its Progress 8 score of 0.13, which places it in the 'Average' band nationally. This means that, on average, pupils achieve slightly better than expected given their starting points, a solid result that ranks the school 3rd out of 17 secondary schools in the Sunderland local authority. For context, the average Progress 8 score across Sunderland is -0.31, so St Robert's is performing well above the local norm. The school's Attainment 8 score of 52 further underscores this, with 75.6% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 55.6% achieving a grade 5 or above. In its 2023 ungraded inspection, Ofsted confirmed the school 'remains Good', with leadership and management also rated Good.
At Key Stage 5, the school's sixth form offers a different picture. With 213 pupils in the cohort, the average points per entry is 33.37, equating to a grade of C+. The value-added score is -0.18, which is banded as 'Below average', suggesting that A-level students make less progress than similar students nationally. The best three A-levels average out at a grade of C+, with a points score of 34.58. Only 11.8% of entries achieved grades of AAB or higher. This contrasts with the strong Key Stage 4 performance and suggests that while the school excels at moving pupils through GCSEs, the sixth form may be a better fit for students aiming for solid B/C grades rather than the very top university entry thresholds. The school's Ebacc entry rate is high at 75.6%, with 46.2% of pupils achieving the Ebacc at a grade 4 or above.
The school is significantly oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 455 applications for 206 places, with 242 first-preference applications for just 205 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.21. This reflects its strong local reputation. Facilities are extensive and include a swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, theatre, astro turf, and a dedicated sixth form centre. The school offers a wide range of sports including rowing, gymnastics, and dance, plus clubs from chess and coding to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and speech, language and communication needs. With 16.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. This is a good choice for families in Sunderland seeking a Catholic secondary with strong GCSE outcomes and broad facilities, though those targeting elite university courses may want to scrutinise sixth-form value-added data more closely.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Biddick Lane, Washington, Sunderland, NE38 8AF |
| Headteacher | C Hammill |
| Local Authority | Sunderland |
| Number of Pupils | 1,588 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 16.7% |
| School Capacity | 1,588 / 1,550 (102% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (11 Oct 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 29 Mar 2012. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.13)
1251st of 3,141
Nationally
35th of 142
In North East
3rd 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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
35.6
'22/23
32.3
'23/24
33.4
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
2022/2365%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 220 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)65%
- FE college21%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment5%
- Not sustained2%
98% 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
2022/2363%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 220 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
27%
Russell Group
32%
Top-third HE
1%
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)63%
- Employment19%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Further education1%
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- Business Studies:Single48
- Psychology40
- Mathematics38
- English Language32
- Law32
- Biology28
- Chemistry27
- History26
- Economics23
- Religious Studies21
- Physics20
- Sociology20
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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed206
455
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
242 families put this school as their 1st choice (53% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:20
Source: strobertofnewminster.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British87.5%
- Asian4.2%
- Mixed2.8%
- White (other)2.5%
- 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.
7
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
5
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 St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington
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
Biddick Lane, Washington
Sunderland, NE38 8AF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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