Northern Saints Church of England Academy, Sunderland

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~655m)Possible (~935m)Unlikely (~1.2km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Rachel Heaney
Pupils:423 / 630 capacity
LA:Sunderland
Phone:01919171685
Address:Rotherham Road, Sunderland, SR5 5QL
Trust:DURHAM AND NEWCASTLE DIOCESAN LEARNING TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 January 2023

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 27 January 2026View full report
URN:149524
UKPRN:10091678
Diocese:Diocese of Durham
Constituency:Washington and Gateshead South
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Northern Saints is exceptionally inclusive and welcoming - leaders have high aspirations for every child regardless of their starting point and provide tailored support that really makes a difference. The school excels at enriching pupils' experiences through carefully planned visits and activities, from theatre trips to community service. Pupils develop strong values of respect and equality, with excellent behaviour supported by staff who genuinely know and care for each child.

Key Strengths

  • Mathematics is a particular strength with pupils achieving significantly above the national average
  • Strong inclusive approach with excellent support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
  • Excellent personal development programme with enriching activities including theatre visits, community work and visits to places of worship
  • Well-established positive behaviour and respect - bullying and discrimination rarely occur
  • Strong leadership with accurate identification of priorities and swift action to address issues

Areas for Improvement

  • Some pupils' knowledge gaps are not identified quickly enough, particularly in how teachers check understanding during lessons
  • In early years, some activities designed for children are not ambitious enough and can limit their learning
  • Reading and writing outcomes at key stage 2 are typically only close to the national average (though phonics teaching has been strengthened)

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met with an open culture of safeguarding established, all legal requirements fulfilled, and pupils made safer and feeling safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Theatre visits, Hylton Castle visits, visits to mosques and gurdwaras, breakfast club, before and after-school provision, holiday clubs, residential visits, litter picking, work with local charities, community performances at local care home

Northern Saints Church of England Academy is a welcoming school where all pupils are valued and supported to succeed. Leaders have high aspirations for every pupil and have strengthened teaching, particularly in phonics and mathematics, while creating an inclusive environment where everyone is treated equally.

At a Glance

58.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SLCN - Speech, language and Communication

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-2ppMaths+2ppWriting

Reading has remained stable at around 75%. Maths has remained stable at around 86%. Writing has remained stable at around 74%.

Class Sizes

23.1

Avg class size

23.7

Infant (KS1)

23.9

KS2

20

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Redcar Road-Rotherham Road (NW-Bound)
87m · 1 min walk
Redhill Road-Rochdale Road (S-Bound)
107m · 2 min walk
Redcar Road-Runnymede Road (E-Bound)
204m · 3 min walk
Washington Road-Wear View (W-Bound)
225m · 4 min walk
Redhill Road-Rotherham Road (NW-Bound)
226m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

67%

Available places

423 pupils

630 capacity

207 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Sunderland

Low pressure
New homes approved:2,785
Projected new pupils:696

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Sunderland

Admissions Demand - Sunderland

Low demand0.80x oversubscription

Places available

3,460

Applications

2,785

Got 1st preference

95.4%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across Sunderland (2025/26)

Inspection History(2)

27 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
6 January 2023

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.66548%

Overall absence

20.04662%

Persistent absence

429

Enrolments

Authorised4.09624%
Unauthorised2.56923%
Persistent (10%+)20.04662%
Severe (50%+)1.6317%

Absence trend

8.0302%
22/23
7.19718%
23/24
6.66548%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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