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Best primary schools in Sunderland

73 of 81 primary schools ranked by Met expected standard (RWM) · all Sunderland schools · secondary schools

Ranked on Met expected standard (RWM), 2024/25 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

71 of 81 rated Good or Outstanding
8 oversubscribed on first preference
10 Good or better and undersubscribed — the overlooked ones
Median Met expected standard (RWM): 68.0% (best 97.0%)

#	School	Met expected standard (RWM)	Ofsted	Places	Catchment
1	Benedict Biscop Church of England Academy Sunderland	97.0%	Not judged	oversubscribed 1.38 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
2	St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland Sunderland	95.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.18 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
3	St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland Sunderland	90.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.37 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
4	Rickleton Primary School Washington	89.0%	Not judged	oversubscribed 1.18 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
5	St Paul's CofE Primary School Sunderland	88.0%	Outstanding improving	oversubscribed 1.51 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
6	Bernard Gilpin Primary School Houghton le Spring	87.0%	Outstanding improving	about even 1.05 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
7	St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Houghton Houghton le Spring	87.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
8	St Leonard's Catholic Primary School, Silksworth Sunderland	85.0%	Good	about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
9	Valley Road Academy Sunderland	85.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
10	Biddick Primary School Washington	83.0%	Good	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
11	St Anne's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School Sunderland hidden gem	83.0%	Good	about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
12	Highfield Academy Sunderland	82.0%	Good	about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
13	East Herrington Primary Academy Sunderland	81.0%	Good	about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
14	Hill View Junior Academy Sunderland	81.0%	Good	—	approximate
15	Blackfell Primary School Washington	80.0%	Good	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
16	Seaburn Dene Primary School Sunderland	80.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
17	St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Washington Washington	80.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
18	Mill Hill Primary School Sunderland	79.0%	Good declining	about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
19	Bexhill Academy Sunderland	78.0%	Outstanding improving	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
20	Fulwell Junior School Sunderland	78.0%	Outstanding	—	approximate
21	St Benet's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School Sunderland	78.0%	Good declining	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
22	St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington Washington	77.0%	Outstanding	about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
23	Castletown Primary School Sunderland	76.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
24	Willow Wood Community Primary School Sunderland	75.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.36 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
25	Fatfield Academy Washington	74.0%	Good	about even 1.03 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
26	Holley Park Academy Washington	74.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
27	St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland Sunderland	74.0%	Not judged	oversubscribed 1.2 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
28	East Rainton Primary School Houghton le Spring	72.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
29	St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Washington Washington	72.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
30	Shiney Row Primary School Houghton le Spring hidden gem	71.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.81 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
31	Redby Academy Sunderland	70.0%	Good improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
32	South Hylton Primary Academy Sunderland	69.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
33	Usworth Colliery Primary School Washington	69.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
34	Diamond Hall Junior Academy Sunderland	68.0%	Good	—	approximate
35	English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Sunderland Sunderland hidden gem	68.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
36	Hudson Road Primary School Sunderland	68.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
37	Newbottle Primary Academy Houghton le Spring hidden gem	68.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
38	Northern Saints Church of England Academy Sunderland hidden gem	68.0%	Good	about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
39	Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw Houghton le Spring	67.0%	Not judged	about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
40	Ryhope Junior School Sunderland	67.0%	Good	—	approximate
41	Springwell Village Primary School Gateshead	66.0%	Good	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
42	John F Kennedy Primary School Washington	65.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
43	Plains Farm Academy Sunderland	65.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
44	Richard Avenue Primary School Sunderland	64.0%	Good	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
45	Barnwell Academy Houghton le Spring	63.0%	Outstanding	oversubscribed 1.6 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
46	Dubmire Primary Houghton le Spring	63.0%	Not judged	about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
47	Easington Lane Primary School Houghton le Spring	63.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
48	Grangetown Primary School Sunderland	63.0%	Good improving	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
49	Thorney Close Primary School Sunderland	63.0%	Good	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
50	Eppleton Academy Primary School Houghton le Spring	62.0%	Not judged	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
51	George Washington Primary School Washington	62.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
52	Barmston Village Primary School Washington	60.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
53	Farringdon Academy Sunderland hidden gem	60.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
54	Hetton Lyons Primary School Houghton le Spring	60.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
55	New Penshaw Academy Houghton le Spring hidden gem	58.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
56	St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Ryhope Sunderland hidden gem	58.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.73 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
57	Albany Village Primary School Washington	57.0%	Good improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
58	Burnside Academy Inspires Houghton le Spring	57.0%	Good	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
59	Broadway Junior School Sunderland	55.0%	Good	—	approximate
60	Hasting Hill Academy Sunderland	55.0%	Good	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
61	Hetton Primary School Houghton le Spring	54.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
62	St John Bosco Catholic Primary School, Town End Farm, Sunderland Sunderland	54.0%	Not judged	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
63	Town End Academy Sunderland	54.0%	Good	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
64	Oxclose Primary Academy Washington	52.0%	Good	about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
65	New Silksworth Academy Junior Sunderland	51.0%	Good	—	approximate
66	Southwick Community Primary School Southwick	51.0%	Good	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
67	Hylton Castle Primary School Sunderland	43.0%	Good improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
68	Grange Park Primary School Sunderland	39.0%	Good improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
69	Barnes Junior School Sunderland	38.0%	Good improving	—	approximate
70	Lambton Primary School Washington	38.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
71	Wessington Primary School Washington	23.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
72	Marlborough Primary School Washington	20.0%	Not judged declining	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
73	Gillas Lane Primary Academy Houghton le Spring	15.0%	Good	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate

Also in Sunderland

8 further primary schools with no published Met expected standard (RWM) for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Sunderland, not a fairer one.

Barnes Infant Academy Ofsted: Good
Dame Dorothy Primary School Ofsted: Good
Diamond Hall Infant Academy Ofsted: Not judged
Fulwell Infant School Academy Ofsted: Not judged
Grindon Infant School Ofsted: Good
Hill View Infant Academy Ofsted: Good
New Silksworth Academy Infant Ofsted: Good hidden gem
Ryhope Infant School Academy Ofsted: Good hidden gem

Applying in Sunderland

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Secondary application deadline 2026-10-31 · 2027 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2027 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2026; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
Primary (Reception) application deadline 2027-01-15 · 2027 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2027 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2027; apply via your home local authority.
Secondary National Offer Day 2027-03-01 · 2027 entry Secondary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — state school Year 7 place offers (1 March).
Primary National Offer Day 2027-04-16 · 2027 entry Primary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — Reception place offers (16 April).
Secondary application deadline 2027-10-31 · 2028 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2028 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2027; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
Primary (Reception) application deadline 2028-01-15 · 2028 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2028 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2028; apply via your home local authority.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Sunderland admission criteria.

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