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St Aidan's Catholic Academy

Secondary · Boys · Ages 11–18 · Academy

Willowbank Road, Ashbrooke, Sunderland SR2 7HJ · staidanscatholicacademy.co.uk · 0191 520 0333

On the mapSearch near SR2 7HJ

Overview

Ofsted
No overall grade
2019 framework · inspected Feb 2025
GCSEs, 2024/25
51.2
average Attainment 8 score. Sunderland 43.3, England 46
Demand for places
1.0
first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
Pupils
1,057
57 over 1,000 places · 106%
Local authority
Sunderland
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
21.2%
First language not English
23.7%
School census 2025/26
Trust
Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Year 7 in September 2026, 176 families put the school first and 179 places were offered; 98% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 139 (Places 161)139September 2023: 175 (Places 180)175September 2024: 195 (Places 195)195September 2025: 187 (Places 192)187September 2026: 176 (Places 179)176Places 179
Year 7PlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 2026179176198%
September 2025Sept 20251921871100%
September 2024Sept 2024195195198%
September 2023Sept 2023180175195%
September 2022Sept 20221611390.9100%

Results

In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 51.2, and 62.6% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Sunderland it was 43.3, and across England 46.

In 2024/25 the average A level result was grade C+ (33 points per entry).

GCSE results

Attainment 8

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252016/17: 50.1 (England 46.3)50.12017/18: 51.1 (England 46.5)51.12018/19: 50.4 (England 46.7)50.42021/22: 57.5 (England 48.8)57.52022/23: 53.1 (England 46.3)53.12023/24: 51.5 (England 45.9)51.52024/25: 51.2 (England 46.0)51.2England 46.0
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
▲51.246.0
▲62.6%45.4%
▲78.0%64.8%
▲72.4%40.5%
▲4.684.09

Where Year 11 leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
School sixth form45.8−6.4
Further education39.2+7.3
Apprenticeship7.20
Employment0.7−3.6
Not in a lasting destination3.3+1.9
Activity not captured3.9+2.5

A levels and other 16 to 18 results

A level average grade

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252015/16: 25.5 (England 30.5)C-2016/17: 23.8 (England 31.1)D+2017/18: 28.1 (England 32.1)C-2018/19: 25.6 (England 32.9)C-2021/22: 33.4 (England 37.9)C+2022/23: 30.5 (England 34.2)C2023/24: 30.1 (England 34.4)C2024/25: 33.0 (England 35.0)C+England 35.0
2024/25TrendAverage gradeProgress
61 studentsC+ (33)Below average -0.49
61 studentsC+ (33.1)Below average -0.49
22 studentsDist- (32.8)Average -0.14
9 studentsDist- (30)Well below average -0.68
16.2%AAB or better
30%finished their course
Earlier years: A levelStudentsAverage gradeProgress
2023/2460C (30.1)-0.43
2022/2358C (30.5)—
2021/2278C+ (33.4)—
2018/1951C- (25.6)-0.48
2017/1869C- (28.1)-0.21
2016/1770D+ (23.8)-0.20
2015/1680C- (25.5)0.00

Where sixth-form leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
University66.2−0.5
Apprenticeship7.4−3.3
Employment16.2−1.7
Not in a lasting destination5.9+3.5
Activity not captured4.4+2

Ofsted

Ofsted inspected St Aidan's Catholic Academy on 18 February 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.

Overall
No overall grade
Inspected
18 Feb 2025
Graded inspection

Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports

Graded areas

Quality of educationOutstanding
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding
Sixth formGood

Previously: Improving, ungraded inspection, Jun 2023

Earlier inspections

September 2019 to November 2025

  • Jun 2023Ungraded inspectionImproving
    SafeguardingEffective

Before September 2019

  • Jan 2018Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    16 to 19 study programmesGood
    SafeguardingEffective
  • Dec 2015Requires improvement
    Outcomes for pupilsRequires improvement
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareGood
    Leadership and managementRequires improvement
    16 to 19 study programmesRequires improvement
    SafeguardingEffective

What parents said

96% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (96 replies, to 1 September 2025).

Recommend
96%
Replies
96
10% · 1 Sept 2025
Child is happy at school▲98% agreeEngland 89%
Child feels safe▲98% agreeEngland 90%
Pupils are well behaved▲97% agreeEngland 84%
School has high expectations▲98% agreeEngland 84%
Child does well▲96% agreeEngland 87%
Told what child will learn▲96% agreeEngland 84%
Told how child is doing▲95% agreeEngland 85%
Good range of subjects●91% agreeEngland 91%
Can join clubs and activities▲97% agreeEngland 91%
Supports personal development▲93% agreeEngland 79%
Concerns are dealt with properly▲92% agreeEngland 77%

based on the 61% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly●52% agreeEngland 50%

based on the 25% who had a child bullied

Gets the SEND support they need▲93% agreeEngland 67%

based on 15 parents (16%) with SEND

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