Best Schools in Sunderland

How many schools are there in Sunderland?

Sunderland has 83 open schools: 50 state primary, 15 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 10 special and 6 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Sunderland are rated Outstanding?

11 schools in Sunderland were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: City of Sunderland College, Mill Hill Nursery School, Harry Watts Academy, Bexhill Academy, Fulwell Junior School and 6 more. Counting Good as well, 99% of the 70 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

City of Sunderland CollegeMill Hill Nursery SchoolHarry Watts AcademyBexhill AcademyFulwell Junior School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Sunderland get the best GCSE results?

Of the 15 schools in Sunderland with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Aidan's Catholic Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.6 and 59% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.1 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Whitburn Church of England Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50 and 49% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Aidan's Catholic AcademySt Anthony's Girls' Catholic AcademyWhitburn Church of England Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Sunderland have the best SATs results?

Of the 43 primary schools in Sunderland with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Benedict Biscop Church of England Academy (97% in reading, 97% in maths); St Paul's CofE Primary School (97% in reading, 97% in maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland (100% in reading, 93% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Benedict Biscop Church of England AcademySt Paul's CofE Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Sunderland?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Sunderland selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Sunderland?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Sunderland published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Academy 360, 3.486 miles for 2024 entry; Castle View Enterprise Academy, 2.915 miles for 2024 entry; Christ's College, 4.388 miles for 2024 entry; Farringdon Community Academy, 2.914 miles for 2024 entry; Monkwearmouth Academy, 4.605 miles for 2024 entry. We hold figures for 11 schools in Sunderland; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Academy 360Castle View Enterprise AcademyChrist's CollegeFarringdon Community AcademyMonkwearmouth Academy

Source: Sunderland admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Sunderland?

Apply to your council - Sunderland or South Tyneside, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.