Academy converter · Sunderland

Highfield Academy

2–11Ages
443Pupils
PrimaryPhase
144219URN

Fordfield Road, Ford Estate, Sunderland, SR4 0DA · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded GoodApr 2013

School remains GoodUngraded inspection · Oct 2022

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.3per place

0.2 below Sunderland median (1.5)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Sunderland

71 applications for 55 places · 58th of 73 in Sunderland

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

82%met the expected standard

Sunderland 68% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded GoodApr 2013

School remains GoodUngraded inspection · Oct 2022

Inspection history

12 October 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good
25 April 2013
Graded inspection: Good · as Highfield Community Primary School, URN 134644

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.3applications per place, Reception

0.2 below Sunderland median (1.5) 0.9 below England median (2.2)

71 applications · 55 places offered · 50 named it first

HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.

2026 1.3; Sunderland median median 1.5
2025 1.4; Sunderland median median 1.6
2024 1.5; Sunderland median median 1.6
2023 1.3; Sunderland median median 1.5
2022 1.3; Sunderland median median 1.6
2021 1.3; Sunderland median median 1.6
2020 1.8; Sunderland median median 2.1
2019 1.6; Sunderland median median 2.0
2018 1.7; Sunderland median median 2.0; as the previous school
2017 1.6; Sunderland median median 2.0; as the previous school
2016 1.6; Sunderland median median 2.1; as the previous school
2015 1.5; Sunderland median median 1.9; as the previous school
2014 1.9; Sunderland median median 1.8; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Sunderland median in 0 of 8 years.

This school
Sunderland median

Dashed bars: as Highfield Community Primary School (URN 134644), the previous school.

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	55	71	1.3	50	0.91
Sep 2025	48	65	1.4	42	0.88
Sep 2024	43	64	1.5	42	0.98
Sep 2023	48	60	1.3	45	0.94
Sep 2022	58	74	1.3	51	0.88
Sep 2021	39	50	1.3	36	0.92
Sep 2020	35	63	1.8	33	0.94
Sep 2019	53	87	1.6	49	0.92
Sep 2018 *	49	85	1.7	49	1.00
Sep 2017 *	56	92	1.6	54	0.96
Sep 2016 *	57	92	1.6	56	0.98
Sep 2015 *	59	88	1.5	57	0.97
Sep 2014 *	46	89	1.9	48	1.04

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 84% · Writing 84% · Maths 82% → all three 82% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard82%12th of 73 in Sunderland

Sunderland 68% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard84%

Sunderland 78% England 78%

Higher standard54%

Sunderland 34% England 33%

Average scaled score 109 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard84%

Sunderland 76% England 75%

Greater depth32%

Sunderland 16% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard82%

Sunderland 81% England 77%

Higher standard40%

Sunderland 25% England 24%

Average scaled score 107 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Sunderland median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	82%	26%	109	107
2023/24	70%	9%	106	105
2022/23	77%	8%	105	104

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Highfield AcademyThis school
This school

Remains Good2022

1.3applications per place 82%met the SATs standard
St Anne's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
0.9 km · Sunderland

Remains Good2022

1.9applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
Broadway Junior School
1.1 km · Sunderland

Remains Good2023

55%met the SATs standard
Diamond Hall Infant Academy
1.3 km · Sunderland

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.2applications per place
South Hylton Primary Academy
1.3 km · Sunderland

2025

1.7applications per place 69%met the SATs standard
Diamond Hall Junior Academy
1.3 km · Sunderland

Remains Good2022

68%met the SATs standard
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland
1.4 km · Sunderland

Improved significantly2025

2.3applications per place 90%met the SATs standard
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland
1.4 km · Sunderland

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.8applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
Castletown Primary School
1.5 km · Sunderland

Good2022

1.5applications per place 76%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 144219 · 394/3333
Trust: Iris Learning Trust
Capacity: 420 pupils · 443 on roll
Free school meals: 49.9% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 1 June 2018
Replaced: Highfield Community Primary School (URN 134644)
Address: Fordfield Road, Ford Estate, Sunderland, SR4 0DA
Local authority: Sunderland

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources