Sandhill View Academy Review 2026: Community-focused secondary with strong inclusion and structured routines

A longer school day, a clear set of expectations, and a culture that puts inclusion front and centre define Sandhill View Academy. Serving Thorney Close and the wider Sunderland area, this is a non-denominational, mixed 11 to 16 academy with a stated focus on helping pupils “Know More, Do More, Go Further”.

Leadership and routines matter here. Mrs Jill Dodd has been headteacher since September 2021, and the school describes a consistent, system-led approach to behaviour and learning habits.

For families comparing local options, the key question is fit. This is a school that leans into structure, pastoral scaffolding, and enrichment, with Wednesday afternoons explicitly set aside for extended activities.

The tone is purposeful and organised, with an explicit set of values that are used as working language rather than decorative statements. The core trio is Aspire, Achieve, Enjoy, and it is reinforced by the simple learning ambition, Know More, Do More, Go Further.

Behaviour expectations are framed around being Ready, Respectful, Safe, and Kind. That matters in day-to-day experience because it gives staff and pupils shared reference points for routines, corridors, and classrooms. The school also places emphasis on consistency, and the most recent inspection narrative describes a whole-school system designed to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing, with pupils clear on what is expected.

Sandhill View is part of Aspire North East Multi Academy Trust, and the school links this to shared practice and pooled resources across local academies. In practical terms, families should expect trust influence to show up in staff training, behaviour systems, and school improvement priorities, rather than in day-to-day branding alone.

Leadership is also a visible part of the picture. The school’s own leadership profile states that Mrs Dodd took up the headship in September 2021 and joined from North Durham Academy, with a mathematics specialism. That background aligns with a culture that values routines, consistency, and clear explanation, particularly in core subjects.

Sandhill View Academy is ranked 3,049th in England and 11th in Sunderland for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance below the England average overall, so families should read the data alongside the school’s improvement narrative and the detail in the most recent inspection report card.

The reported Attainment 8 score is 40.6. Progress 8 is -0.08, which indicates slightly below-average progress from pupils’ starting points across eight subjects, compared with other pupils nationally. The EBacc average point score is 3.29, and 7.3% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure.

Taken together, the numbers point to a school where outcomes are not yet where leaders want them, but where there is evidence of improving practice and a deliberate focus on removing barriers for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In the 18 November 2025 inspection report card, achievement is graded at “Expected standard”, with the report describing marked improvements in academic achievement following changes leaders have made.

If you are comparing schools in Sunderland, use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view this school’s performance alongside other nearby secondaries using the same underlying measures. That kind of like-for-like comparison is often more helpful than reading a single set of figures in isolation.

The school day is structured, and the timetable is built to give pupils more time in each lesson to consolidate learning. In the latest inspection report card, curriculum and teaching are graded “Expected standard”, with a consistent approach described through the school’s 5Cs model: connect, content, check point, concentrate, consolidate.

A key strength is the way routines are used to support pupils who need predictability. For many children, especially those who are anxious, have SEND, or have had disrupted prior schooling, a consistent sequence to lessons and behaviour expectations can be a stabiliser. The report card also notes that leaders use alternative provision where it is in pupils’ best interests, which is often a practical tool for supporting a minority of pupils who need a different pathway at particular points.

The main area to watch is literacy. The report card flags reading as “Needs attention”, noting that changes have been made to give pupils more opportunities to develop reading and speaking skills across the curriculum, but that the full impact is still to be realised. For parents, the implication is straightforward: ask how weaker readers are identified, what interventions look like, and how progress is tracked from Year 7 to Year 11.

As an 11 to 16 school with no sixth form on site, the principal transition is from Year 11 into further education, sixth form, apprenticeships, or training. The latest inspection report card describes an “impressive careers programme”, including one-to-one guidance, careers fairs, work experience, and employer engagement, with increasing numbers of pupils remaining in education, employment, or training.

For families, the practical question is how well the school supports individual routes. If a student is aiming for a local sixth form college, you want clarity on subject guidance, entry requirements, and GCSE pathway planning. If an apprenticeship is the better fit, ask about employer links, application support, and how technical routes are presented alongside academic ones. The school’s emphasis on personal development, enrichment, and leadership roles suggests it takes employability skills, confidence, and character seriously, which can translate into stronger post-16 readiness even when headline GCSE outcomes are mixed.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated by Sunderland City Council rather than handled solely by the school. For September 2026 entry, the council’s published application period runs from 8 September 2025 to 31 October 2025, with National Offer Day on 2 March 2026.

The school mirrors this on its admissions page, stating that the preference period for 2026 secondary admissions runs from 1 September 2025 to 31 October 2025, and directs families to apply through the local authority route. The school’s transition timetable also lists a Year 6 open evening in late September, which is a useful indicator that open events typically sit early in the autumn term.

If your family’s decision depends on proximity or travel time, use the FindMySchool Map Search to check realistic door-to-gate distances and transport routes. Even where a school does not publish a precise historical cut-off distance, your day-to-day commute still matters, especially with an 8:30am start.

Pastoral support is a clear strategic priority. The latest inspection report card grades personal development and wellbeing at “Strong standard”, describing a programme delivered by knowledgeable staff and external experts, and highlighting work on mental health support and help-seeking.

Several school-specific mechanisms stand out. There is a Family Breakfast programme positioned as part of readiness for learning, alongside named initiatives such as “Brilliant breakfasts” which link routine, attendance culture, and recognition. There are also visible pathways for student voice and responsibility, including school council and anti-bullying ambassadors referenced within the inspection narrative.

Behaviour and attendance are the two pastoral-adjacent areas where the school is still working hard. The report card grades attendance and behaviour as “Needs attention”, with a clear improvement focus and named strategies such as “Fantastic Friday” and “Brilliant breakfasts”. For parents, that combination can be reassuring if you want evidence of active management rather than denial, but it is still worth probing how persistent absence is handled and what day-to-day escalation looks like for repeated low-level disruption.

Sandhill View builds enrichment into the week. The school states that its primary enrichment period runs every Wednesday afternoon, replacing the usual final lesson with extended activities from 2:35pm to 4:00pm. This is a practical design choice with real implications: it creates protected time for experiences that often get squeezed out in a tight timetable, especially for pupils who rely on school for opportunity rather than external clubs.

The activities listed are a blend of sport, arts, and structured support. Examples include Art Club, Computer Club, Drama Club, and Modern Foreign Languages club, plus band practice and theatre rehearsals linked to school productions. For students who benefit from routine-based confidence-building, the simple fact of a predictable weekly enrichment slot can make participation more likely, which in turn supports belonging and attendance.

Facilities and active-time options are also flagged, including Fitness Suites, Astro Turf, swimming, and trampolining. The school also references homework support and catch-up workshops, which are often most valuable for pupils who need structured study time and reliable adult help, rather than being expected to organise everything independently at home.

Finally, leadership roles appear to be a meaningful strand. The inspection report card references opportunities such as school council, anti-bullying ambassadors, and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which helps signal that the school wants pupils to practise responsibility, not just talk about it.

The school day is clearly published. Arrival is 8:00am to 8:20am, registration and assembly run 8:30am to 9:00am, and the day concludes at 3:30pm, with a typical compulsory week of 34 hours and 5 minutes. The school also emphasises punctuality, with guidance that students should be on site by 8:25am.

There are no tuition fees because this is a state-funded academy. Families should still budget for the usual secondary costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional extras where applicable.

For travel, most families will prioritise practical bus routes and safe walking options in the Grindon Lane and Thorney Close area, and should sanity-check the commute against the 8:30am start and the 3:30pm finish.

• Attendance and reading remain improvement priorities. The latest inspection report card grades both attendance and reading as “Needs attention”. Ask what specific reading interventions look like in Key Stage 3 and how attendance improvement is tracked week by week.

• GCSE outcomes sit below England average overall. The FindMySchool GCSE ranking places the school in the lower performance band in England. Families should weigh the academic data alongside the school’s strengths in inclusion and personal development, and consider what support their child would need to thrive.

• The extended day can be a strength or a stretch. A longer structured day can suit pupils who benefit from routine and in-school support, but it can also feel demanding for children with long commutes or significant after-school responsibilities.

Sandhill View Academy is a structured, system-led Sunderland secondary where inclusion and personal development are treated as core work rather than add-ons. The latest inspection report card paints a picture of calm routines, strong support for vulnerable pupils, and a careers and enrichment offer that is deliberately built into the timetable.

It best suits families who value consistency, clear expectations, and a school that actively designs support for pupils who may not find learning easy. The main trade-off is that GCSE performance measures remain below England average, so families should be realistic about the level of academic scaffolding their child may need, particularly around literacy.