Academy 360
Academy sponsor led · 854 pupils
66% stayed in education · Attainment 8 31.7
Academy converter
St Aidan's Catholic Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,057of 1,000 places
- Free school meals
- 21.2%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 123
- Ofsted
- School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next, 18 February 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Aidan's Catholic School (URN 108869, until 1 April 2013).
What the data says
Of the 127 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Aidan's Catholic Academy in 2023, 51% stayed on in St Aidan's Catholic Academy’s own sixth form (Sunderland average 21%), 35% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 68 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 59% went to university (Sunderland 29%, England 37%), and 24% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 12% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 72% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 51.2 against 46.1 across England and 43.3 in Sunderland, with 63% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Sunderland and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | St Aidan's Catholic Academy | Sunderland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 127 | 3,005 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 86% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 76% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 51% | 21% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 35% | 53% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 7% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 11% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | St Aidan's Catholic Academy | Sunderland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 68 | 2,646 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 93% | 74% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 59% | 29% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 24% | 10% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 7% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 12% | 12% | 7% |
| Employment | 16% | 26% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 6% | 21% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | St Aidan's Catholic Academy | Sunderland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 51.2 | 43.3 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 63% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 78% | 61% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 72% | 41% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.68 | 3.81 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 20% | 36% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 42.0 | 33.1 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 53.4 | 49.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 25% | 6% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 122 | 99% | 88% | 24% | 22% | 83% |
| English Language | 122 | 99% | 89% | 16% | 20% | 82% |
| English Literature | 119 | 97% | 86% | 24% | 21% | 84% |
| Religious Studies | 117 | 95% | 31% | 39% | 32% | 90% |
| History | 117 | 95% | 41% | 22% | 26% | 75% |
| Geography | 109 | 89% | 41% | 14% | 25% | 68% |
| Combined Science | 91 | 74% | 65% | 8% | 9% | 66% |
| Spanish | 89 | 72% | 19% | 9% | 27% | 58% |
| Biology | 29 | 24% | 23% | 48% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 29 | 24% | 23% | 45% | 46% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 29 | 24% | 23% | 31% | 47% | 100% |
| Fine Art | 12 | 10% | 9% | 8% | 28% | 67% |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineering | 39 | 64% | — |
| Small Business Management | 33 | 54% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 28 | 46% | — |
| Sports Studies | 21 | 34% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | St Aidan's Catholic Academy | Sunderland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 147 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 61 | 755 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 33.02 | 28.27 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | C | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 16% | 10% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 29 | 48% | 31% |
| Biology | 20 | 33% | 20% |
| Chemistry | 17 | 28% | 17% |
| Economics | 10 | 16% | 13% |
| Business Studies | 10 | 16% | 13% |
| Physics | 9 | 15% | 12% |
| Religious Studies | 9 | 15% | 4% |
| Geography | 6 | 10% | 10% |
| Sociology | 6 | 10% | 13% |
| History | 6 | 10% | 13% |
| Psychology | — | — | 23% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| 3D Design | — | — | 1% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Media Studies | — | — | 4% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 15% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | 8 | 13% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 10% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 10% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 10% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Sunderland
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Christ's College
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Hetton Academy
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Kepier
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77% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.6
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.