Academy 360, Sunderland

From the headteacher's welcome: "Academy 360 is an all-through school, serving the local community of Pennywell in Sunderland. Many of our children join us in Reception, at the age of four, and our oldest students leave us at the age of 16."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, hockey, athletics, gymnastics, basketball, swimming, dance and drama.

The school runs a breakfast club.

In 2026, pupils at Academy 360 averaged an Attainment 8 score of 29.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.8 in Sunderland and 47 across England.

15% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Sunderland and 47% in England.

That is down from 31.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.31: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 27.1, against 32.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Multimedia and History.

For September 2026 entry, 104 families put Academy 360 as their first choice and 133 named it as one of their preferences, for 116 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Academy 360 are Christ's College (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.8); Sandhill View Academy (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.1); Castle View Enterprise Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.1); and Farringdon Community Academy (1.8 miles, Attainment 8 46.2).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Academy 360.

Academy 360 is one of 11 schools run by The Laidlaw Schools Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.1 in 2024/25.

Of the 126 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 75% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 75% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

63.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 2.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 210 pupils (24.6%) received SEN support and 47 (5.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Academy 360 has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 35 places, 35 pupils on roll.

The nearest tram or metro stop is South Hylton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 780 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parkhurst Road (sw-bound), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Academy 360 stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Academy 360 issued 822 suspensions, 94.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 9 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Academy 360 are St Anne's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.2 miles); South Hylton Primary Academy (0.5 miles); St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland (0.6 miles); and Broadway Junior School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.