St Aidan's Catholic Academy, Sunderland

In its own words: "The 1970s building on Willowbank Road belies the 96-year history of St Aidan's!"

From the headteacher's welcome: "St. Aidan's is a Catholic learning community proud to be part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust in which all individuals are provided with the opportunity to flourish in a way that is rooted firmly in the values of the Gospel."

In 2026, pupils at St Aidan's Catholic Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.8 in Sunderland and 47 across England.

59% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Sunderland and 47% in England.

That is up from 51.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.37: pupils made above 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 44.8, against 55.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 18 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were History, Religious Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 176 families put St Aidan's Catholic Academy as their first choice and 289 named it as one of their preferences, for 179 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Aidan's Catholic Academy are Thornhill Academy (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.8); Southmoor Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.8); St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.1); and Venerable Bede Church of England Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.1).

St Aidan's Catholic Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

St Aidan's Catholic Academy is one of 31 schools run by Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.1 in 2024/25.

96 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Aidan's Catholic Academy (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 93% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (98%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (93%).

Of the 153 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 68 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 66% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 16% into work. 21% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

In 2026, 108 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 12 (1.1%) 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.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Park Lane (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1070 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Queen Alexandra Road-Tunstall Road (e-bound), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Aidan's Catholic Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 571 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Sunderland (148), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Aidan's Catholic Academy issued 103 suspensions, 10.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Aidan's Catholic Academy are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland (0.4 miles); Hill View Junior Academy (0.5 miles); Richard Avenue Primary School (0.5 miles); and Hill View Infant Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.