Best secondary schools in Sunderland (2026)
Sunderland has 12 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy, in the top 22% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 43.9, against 46.1 for England. 0 are in England's top 10%, and 0 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Sunderland has no grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 22% in England |
St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy Sunderland · Girls · Roman Catholic |
52.6 | 50.7 | 48% | Good | |
2 Top 22% in England |
St Aidan's Catholic Academy Sunderland · Boys · Roman Catholic |
51.9 | 51.2 | 63% | Not judged | |
3 Top 45% in England |
Farringdon Community Academy Sunderland |
45.2 | 44.6 | 50% | Report card | |
4 Top 47% in England |
Southmoor Academy Sunderland |
46.9 | 49.0 | 49% | No rating | |
5 Top 48% in England |
Monkwearmouth Academy Sunderland |
46.2 | 45.8 | 45% | Good | |
6 Bottom 39% in England |
Red House Academy Sunderland |
42.1 | 44.8 | 51% | Good | |
7 Bottom 32% in England |
Castle View Enterprise Academy Sunderland |
41.7 | 41.9 | 39% | Good | |
8 Bottom 31% in England |
Christ's College Sunderland |
41.6 | 43.2 | 43% | Good | |
9 Bottom 25% in England |
Sandhill View Academy Sunderland |
39.2 | 38.6 | 49% | Report card | |
10 Bottom 23% in England |
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy Sunderland · Church of England |
41.2 | 44.1 | 39% | Not judged | |
11 Bottom 18% in England |
Thornhill Academy Sunderland |
39.5 | 41.4 | 33% | Good | |
12 Bottom 2% in England |
Academy 360 Sunderland |
31.3 | 31.7 | 19% | Good |
Other towns in Tyne and Wear
Also see
Questions
What is the best secondary school in Sunderland?
On exam results over the last three years, St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy is the top-ranked secondary school in Sunderland, in the top 22% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.