Willow Wood Community Primary School, Sunderland
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This school has made rapid improvements under its new headteacher, with exciting, imaginative teaching that brings learning to life - such as having pupils write from the perspective of Anne Frank during WWII studies. The school excels at supporting all pupils, including those with special needs and disadvantaged pupils, helping close attainment gaps. Pupils love coming to school, as shown by high attendance, and the whole community benefits from excellent pastoral care and support.
Key Strengths
- Inspirational headteacher leadership has driven exceptional progress in the last year with strong governance
- Outstanding teaching in Years 1-6 with half of observed lessons rated outstanding, enabling pupils to achieve well
- Excellent behaviour and high attendance, with pupils showing high enjoyment levels
- Strong pastoral care and support for all pupils, with all parents in agreement
- Excellent curriculum with first-hand experiences and strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
Areas for Improvement
- Progress in Nursery and Reception is too slow, particularly in speech, language and number skills
- Tasks for young children are sometimes too easy or too difficult, missing chances to practise skills
- Early years classroom environments do not stimulate children's thinking and curiosity enough
- Attainment at the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics fell to well below average in 2012
- Pupils' phonics and spelling skills remain well below average at age six
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements were examined as part of the inspection but no specific effectiveness judgment is provided in the report.
Extracurricular Activities
Breakfast club
Willow Fields Community Primary School requires improvement overall, having dropped from a Good rating. While teaching in Years 1-6 is now inspiring and imaginative, progress in early years and overall achievement at the end of Year 6 remain inconsistent.
At a Glance
60.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 88%. Maths has improved from 80% to 88%. Writing has remained stable at around 81%.
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
23.3
Infant (KS1)
27.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
123%
Over capacity
290 pupils
236 capacity
54 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Sunderland
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Sunderland
Admissions Demand - Sunderland
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(109)
House Prices
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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.
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.
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.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.44074%
Overall absence
18.05556%
Persistent absence
216
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Willow Wood Community Primary School
Nearby Schools
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