Highfield Academy
Fordfield Road, Ford Estate, Sunderland, SR4 0DAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Highfield Academy is a primary school in Sunderland for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 122 schools in Sunderland. It ranks 8th of 41 primary schools in Sunderland. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in April 2013.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 25 April 2013, report published 20 May 2013
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 11 October 2022
Leaders are ambitious for pupils. Teachers push pupils to maximise their potential. Pupils step up to the challenge. For example, leaders encourage pupils to take on extra responsibilities in school. Pupils do this willingly. Student council members are proud to represent their class at council meetings. Pupils take turns to help kitchen staff to clear things away at the end of lunchtime. 'Reading rangers' promote the importance of reading to their peers and look after the school library. They wear their reading ranger sashes with pride. Pupils trust staff and feel safe. Pupils give visitors a warm welcome. They walk around school sensibly and pay attention in lessons. Incidents of poor behaviour and bullying are rare. Leaders deal with any incidents intelligently when they do occur. Leaders talk to pupils so that they understand why their behaviour is not acceptable at that time. Leaders place a high priority on pupils' wider development. Pupils benefit from a range of clubs, such as the gardening club and science club. The 'Useful and Kind' group members bake cakes to raise funds for charity. They have donated clothes to the Ukrainian refugee appeal. This work helps pupils to become active citizens in their community and beyond.
What the school should improve
- Curriculum planning in a minority of the foundation subjects, such as history, is not precise enough. For example, although leaders have identified the topics for pupils to study, curriculum plans do not make clear when disciplinary knowledge should be taught in the curriculum. This means that sometimes teachers are unclear on the exact content that they should teach to pupils at a given point. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans give teachers sufficient information so that they have clarity about what important knowledge they need to teach to pupils in all subjects.
- Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This means that they miss out on learning important knowledge in the curriculum. Leaders should continue to work with families to ensure that pupils' attendance improves.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
57 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
443 pupils on roll, with places for 420
Schools near Highfield Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Anne's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 83% met the expected standard |
| Broadway Junior School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 55% met the expected standard |
| Diamond Hall Infant Academy | 0.8 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Not published |
| South Hylton Primary Academy | 0.8 miles | Report card: Expected standard | 69% met the expected standard |
| Diamond Hall Junior Academy | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 68% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- IRIS LEARNING TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Melanie Davies
- Phone
- 01915537655
- Address
- Fordfield Road, Ford Estate, Sunderland, SR4 0DA
- Local authority
- Sunderland
- URN
- 144219
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.