Seaburn Dene Primary School, Sunderland
Seaburn Dene Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Sunderland. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 43 schools in Sunderland with published results, and 1,534th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Sunderland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Seaburn Dene Primary School in detail
Seaburn Dene Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: ""We always try to be that little bit better - for ourselves, for each other and for our community." John Howe, Head Teacher Our school sits in a unique coastal location - surrounded by green outdoor spaces and just a short walk from the beautiful Seaburn Beach."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Sunderland
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils at Seaburn Dene Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Sunderland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 88% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Seaburn Dene Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Seaburn Dene Primary School as their first choice and 68 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Seaburn Dene Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Seaburn Dene Primary School are Fulwell Infant School Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Fulwell Junior School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 86% maths); St Benet's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 87% reading, 84% maths); and Redby Academy (1 mile, Good, 83% reading, 76% maths).
Seaburn Dene Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Fulwell Infant School AcademyFulwell Junior SchoolSt Benet's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolRedby Academy
Who goes there
10.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 45 pupils (20.6%) received SEN support and 6 (2.8%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Seaburn (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 670 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dene Estate (se-bound), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 82 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sunderland (148).
Suspensions and exclusions
Seaburn Dene Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Seaburn Dene Primary School are Monkwearmouth Academy (under 0.1 miles), Whitburn Church of England Academy (1.4 miles) and Red House Academy (1.5 miles).
Monkwearmouth AcademyWhitburn Church of England AcademyRed House Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school encourages pupils to 'dream big, show determination and be respectful and kind'. They respond to this challenge. Pupils play and learn together in harmony. Older pupils play and read with younger pupils. Disputes and fallings-out are rare. Pupils know that adults listen and react swiftly and positively when they raise concerns. Issues are dealt with calmly and fairly.
Pupils talk about the fun they have in learning and how they are supported if they feel unsure about new knowledge. Weekly certificates reward pupils who display the school's 'value of the week', be it respect, kindness, determination or aspiration. The school council leads on new initiatives, such as playground storage sheds and fundraising. The weekly class attendance trophy guarantees a few extra minutes breaktime for one class.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Pupils' needs lie at the heart of the school's well-developed curriculum. In most subjects, learning is delivered through short units of work lasting a few weeks. The essential knowledge that pupils must learn and retain is crystal clear. This allows checks to be made on the knowledge pupils have acquired. Well-sequenced lessons build on the knowledge pupils have learned already. Checks in lessons make sure that no one falls behind and extra help is given if needed. More formal assessments check pupils' learning over a longer period in mathematics and English. Gaps in learning are then addressed.
In a small number of subjects in the wider curriculum, such as music and computing, plans are not as well structured as they need to be. In these subjects, pupils do not make the progress they should. In addition, the key knowledge that children need to know at the end of Reception, before they start the wider curriculum in Year 1, is unspecified.
From Ofsted's October 2023 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
10.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 88% to 92% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 80% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 76% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
26.8
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Seaburn Dene Primary School
Farewell
22 Jul 2026
Seaburn Dene crowned Sunderland’s most active school
6 May 2026
Young Inclusion Ambassadors Take Their Seats in Sunderland’s Council Chamber
5 May 2026
Update on Home Reading - Oxford Reading Tree Books
1 May 2026
🌟 We’d love your feedback! 🌟
20 Apr 2026
Our Reducing Food Waste Journey
29 Mar 2026
From Seaburn Dene Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Seaburn Dene Primary School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Seaburn Dene Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- High View Nursery - Day nursery, 0.6 milesOfsted, 12 April 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sunderland Fulwell - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 23 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- New Beginnings - Day nursery, 1.1 milesOfsted report card, 5 December 2025: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sunderland Cleadon - Day nursery, 1.5 milesOfsted, 22 November 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Siblings Nursery Beacon Ltd - Day nursery, 1.5 milesOfsted, 24 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Seaburn Dene Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Seaburn Dene Primary School is in Sunderland; for families living there:
Apply to Sunderland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Seaburn Dene Primary School
Will you get a place at Seaburn Dene Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 24 first choices for 24 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
194 pupils
210 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,430
Applications
2,737
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Primary Planning Area 7 planning area (Sunderland) will have 399 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
45
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
23.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
218
Total Pupils
108
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
24.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,484
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,182
Per pupil
£1105k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
11.3%
Persistent absence
168
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Seaburn Dene Primary School
Questions parents ask about Seaburn Dene Primary School
What are SATs results like at Seaburn Dene Primary School?
Of the pupils at Seaburn Dene Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 92% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Seaburn Dene Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Seaburn Dene Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
Is it hard to get a place at Seaburn Dene Primary School?
Seaburn Dene Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Seaburn Dene Primary School?
Classes at Seaburn Dene Primary School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Seaburn Dene Primary School?
Seaburn Dene Primary School has around 218 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Seaburn Dene Primary School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Seaburn Dene Primary School in 2024/25. 11.3% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Seaburn Dene Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Seaburn Dene Primary School?
Seaburn Dene Primary School is at Torver Crescent, Seaburn Dene, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR6 8LG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)