St Aidan’s Open Day: September 20

At St Aidan’s Catholic Academy Year 11 pupils have had an incredibly successful exam season and are now ready for the next part of their journey to A Level or a successful career.

Parents, staff and pupils alike were delighted with the results achieved in August which were amongst the very best in the North of England. Despite the disruption and worry caused by the pandemic, St Aidan’s boys achieved their very best results ever. 68% of the boys achieving a grade 5 or above in both English and Maths. That’s the equivalent of a B in ‘old money’. 84% achieved a pass at grade 4 in English and Maths (equivalent C).

This level of excellence didn’t happen by accident; the boys and staff have worked extremely hard, living and breathing the Academy’s core values, dedicating time to their studies and climbing to the top of their mountains. Most importantly the grades that were achieved have opened many doors, enabling the pupils to continue their journey either academically or to pursue a good career.

Mr Glenn Sanderson, St Aidan’s Headteacher believes that ‘what was vital was not just what happened in the last year, but what happened over the pupils’ journey through the school from Years 7-11. St Aidan’s aims to develop the whole person and allows the whole child to develop in a way that is rooted firmly in the values of the Gospel.

At St Aidan’s there are the highest of expectations for every individual and the practices and routines demand and nurture a strong sense of moral purpose, personal responsibility, integrity, honesty and respect for others. These core values underpin all aspects of school life and ensure that pupils are ready not just for exams, but for the 21st century world.’

All staff at St Aidan’s believe that every pupil who steps through our doors is capable of excellence and this is also borne out in the school’s results: SEN D pupils achieved on average half a grade higher than their Key Stage 4 predictions. This was a ringing endorsement for the nurture and care St Aidan’s provides for its pupils, whilst also guaranteeing pupils opportunity and gateways beyond secondary education.

St Aidan’s were also pleased to report that 34% of all grades achieved were 9-7 (A*-A): some pupils achieving a grade 9 in all subjects studied – a truly outstanding performance and well deserved. St Aidan’s looks forward to the academic year 2022-23, and continuing to fulfil its responsibility in supporting Sunderland’s boys in their formation: spiritual and social; intellectual and emotional through the provision of a broad, balanced and vibrant experience.

St Aidan’s other exciting news is that it has been prioritised for the government’s School Rebuilding Programme. St Aidan's, part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust (BCCET), will have one or more of its buildings replaced or refurbished. The new buildings will transform the learning environment and support teachers in continuing to deliver a high-quality education for decades to come.

Mr Sanderson, headteacher, said: “The new build will provide St Aidan’s with a fantastic opportunity to bring together pupils from age 11 to 18 for the first time, in one state of the art building. This will have a transformational impact on the lives of our young people and the communities we serve.

“We’ve been working collaboratively with the wider Trust and several external partners behind the scenes for some time now and are delighted to be able to finally share this news. The new build will provide all members of the community a much-needed boost after the difficulties of the pandemic.

“It is great to have something exciting and positive to look forward to which will bring significant benefits to the local community for generations to come. We will finally have world class buildings to complement the world class education we provide.”

St Aidan’s Catholic Academy invites parents and pupils to come and witness St Aidan’s in action. The Academy hosts their popular Year 5/6 Open Day on the 20th September. For further details please click the link or contact [email protected]

You can also visit the school online here.