Academy converter · Sunderland

St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Houghton

4–11Ages
193Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Roman CatholicReligious character
147131URN

Durham Road, St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Houghton le Spring, DH5 8NF · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jun 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.6per place

close to Sunderland median (1.5)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Sunderland

39 applications for 24 places · 29th of 73 in Sunderland

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

87%met the expected standard

Sunderland 68% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 23 June 2026Published 16 July 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Strong standard	Expected standard
Inclusion			Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching		Strong standard
Achievement		Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour		Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing			Expected standard
Early years		Strong standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Strong standard

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

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

23 June 2026
Report card · 5 Strong standard, 2 Expected standard
4 May 2022
Graded inspection: Good

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

1.6applications per place, Reception

close to Sunderland median (1.5) 0.6 below England median (2.2)

39 applications · 24 places offered · 24 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 1.6; Sunderland median median 1.5
2025 1.8; Sunderland median median 1.6
2024 1.6; Sunderland median median 1.6
2023 1.8; Sunderland median median 1.5
2022 1.8; Sunderland median median 1.6
2021 2.1; Sunderland median median 1.6
2020 2.3; Sunderland median median 2.1
2019 2.2; Sunderland median median 2.0; as the previous school
2018 2.0; Sunderland median median 2.0; as the previous school
2017 2.3; Sunderland median median 2.0; as the previous school
2016 2.9; Sunderland median median 2.1; as the previous school
2015 2.2; Sunderland median median 1.9; as the previous school
2014 2.4; Sunderland median median 1.8; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Sunderland median in 6 of 7 years.

This school
Sunderland median

Dashed bars: as St Michael's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School (URN 108849), 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	24	39	1.6	24	1.00
Sep 2025	28	49	1.8	25	0.89
Sep 2024	27	43	1.6	26	0.96
Sep 2023	30	54	1.8	31	1.03
Sep 2022	29	52	1.8	29	1.00
Sep 2021	30	62	2.1	37	1.23
Sep 2020	29	66	2.3	36	1.24
Sep 2019 *	30	66	2.2	32	1.07
Sep 2018 *	30	61	2.0	36	1.20
Sep 2017 *	30	69	2.3	34	1.13
Sep 2016 *	30	88	2.9	49	1.63
Sep 2015 *	30	66	2.2	32	1.07
Sep 2014 *	29	70	2.4	50	1.72

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 97% · Writing 87% · Maths 97% → all three 87% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard87%6th of 73 in Sunderland

Sunderland 68% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard97%

Sunderland 78% England 78%

Higher standard60%

Sunderland 34% England 33%

Average scaled score 111 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard87%

Sunderland 76% England 75%

Greater depth20%

Sunderland 16% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard97%

Sunderland 81% England 77%

Higher standard63%

Sunderland 25% England 24%

Average scaled score 110 (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	87%	10%	111	110
2023/24	76%	7%	109	107
2022/23	45%	0%	105	101

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

St Michael's Catholic Primary School, HoughtonThis school
This school

2026

1.6applications per place 87%met the SATs standard
Bernard Gilpin Primary School
0.6 km · Sunderland

Outstanding2022

1.8applications per place 87%met the SATs standard
Gillas Lane Primary Academy
1.1 km · Sunderland

Remains Good2024

1.7applications per place 15%met the SATs standard
Burnside Academy Inspires
1.2 km · Sunderland

Standards maintained2024

2.1applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
Eppleton Academy Primary School
1.4 km · Sunderland

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.3applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
East Rainton Primary School
1.5 km · Sunderland

Remains Good2023

1.4applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
Dubmire Primary
1.9 km · Sunderland

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.5applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Newbottle Primary Academy
2.0 km · Sunderland

2026

1.6applications per place 68%met the SATs standard
Hetton Primary School
2.3 km · Sunderland

Remains Good2024

2.1applications per place 54%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: 147131 · 394/3323
Trust: Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Capacity: 210 pupils · 193 on roll
Free school meals: 8.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 July 2019
Replaced: St Michael's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School (URN 108849)
Address: Durham Road, St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Houghton le Spring, DH5 8NF
Local authority: Sunderland

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