Trinity Academy New Bridge, Sunderland
Trinity Academy New Bridge is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Sunderland, part of Trinity Academy Newcastle. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Trinity Academy New Bridge in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Trinity Academy New Bridge are Harry Watts Academy (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Education and Services for People with Autism (0.9 miles, Good); North View Academy (1.4 miles, Good); and Sunningdale School (2.8 miles, Outstanding).
Harry Watts AcademyEducation and Services for People with AutismNorth View AcademySunningdale School
The trust
Trinity Academy New Bridge is one of 3 schools run by Trinity Academy Newcastle, an academy trust.
What parents say
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Trinity Academy New Bridge (as of September 2025): 61% would recommend the school, 61% say their child is happy there and 53% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (79%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (53%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 32 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 53% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college and 6% to an apprenticeship.
Who goes there
74.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Trinity Academy New Bridge has an education, health and care plan (128 of 128 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is South Hylton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cheadle Road (e-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Trinity Academy New Bridge stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Trinity Academy New Bridge issued 339 suspensions, 254.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Trinity Academy New Bridge provides excellent support for pupils' emotional wellbeing and personal growth through activities designed to build confidence and resilience. The school offers a comprehensive careers programme with real-world business connections to help pupils see the relevance of their learning. Staff are supportive and kind, with most pupils who attend regularly reporting they feel happy and safe.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on pupils' personal development with meaningful cultural experiences like trips, boxing, and outdoor learning that build confidence and self-esteem
- Effective support for pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs through activities like mindfulness sessions and gardening therapy
- Comprehensive careers programme with local business partnerships that helps pupils understand the relevance of their learning
Areas for Improvement
- Reading skills support is improving but not yet securely in place across the school - many pupils lack reading confidence and fluency
- Too many pupils have poor attendance which creates significant gaps in knowledge and prevents them achieving their potential
- Inconsistent quality of teaching and learning tasks that don't always match curriculum goals or build on what pupils already know
- Leadership changes are recent and the impact of new initiatives is not yet fully evident
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips and visits, boxing, outdoor learning, mindfulness sessions, gardening therapy, careers education with local business partnerships
Trinity Academy New Bridge is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has taken positive steps to improve recently, but pupils' learning and achievement have been inconsistently strong, with low attendance being a significant barrier.
At a Glance
74.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Trinity Academy New Bridge
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Trinity Academy New Bridge from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Trinity Academy New Bridge 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
- 29
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 22 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
128 pupils
140 places
12 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Sunderland
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sunderland
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,305
Applications
2,921
Got 1st preference
92.9%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
128
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
128
Total Pupils
109
Boys
19
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
8.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,267
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
49.4%
Overall absence
81.8%
Persistent absence
137
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Trinity Academy New Bridge
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Trinity Academy New Bridge
What are GCSE results like at Trinity Academy New Bridge?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Trinity Academy New Bridge achieved an Attainment 8 score of 3.4. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Trinity Academy New Bridge's Ofsted rating?
Trinity Academy New Bridge's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Trinity Academy New Bridge?
No fixed boundary. When Trinity Academy New Bridge is oversubscribed, Sunderland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Trinity Academy New Bridge?
Trinity Academy New Bridge has around 128 pupils on roll. 74% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Trinity Academy New Bridge?
49.4% of sessions were missed at Trinity Academy New Bridge in 2024/25. 81.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Trinity Academy New Bridge?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Trinity Academy New Bridge on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Trinity Academy New Bridge?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 22 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Trinity Academy New Bridge?
Trinity Academy New Bridge is at Craigshaw Road, Sunderland, SR5 3NF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)