St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington
Biddick Lane, Washington, NE38 8AF
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Trust
- BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
- Head Teacher
- Mr C Hammill
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Diocese
- Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
- Sponsor
- Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust
- Constituency
- Washington and Gateshead South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,550
- Pupils on roll
- 1,527
- URN
- 147142
- Local authority
- Sunderland
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01917161700
About this school
St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington is a Roman Catholic secondary academy in Washington. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 1,527 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 11 October 2023, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 220 | 234 | 250 |
| Attainment 8 score | 50.6 | 52.0 | 48.9 |
| Progress 8 score | +0.04 -0.14 to +0.23 | +0.13 -0.05 to +0.31 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 55% | 55.6% | 48.8% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 75% | 75.6% | 73.2% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 73% | 75.6% | 64% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Sunderland average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 50.6 | 37.6 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 52 | 38.2 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 48.9 | 38.3 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,642 |
| 2023/24 | 1,621 |
| 2024/25 | 1,588 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington compares
St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington ranked 5th of 18 secondary schools in Sunderland for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 72% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 18% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 48.9 | 7.8% | 16.9% | 1,527 | — |
| Biddick Academy | 42.5 | 10.4% | 31% | 1,002 | 0.3 miles |
| Oxclose Community Academy | 41.8 | 11% | 38% | 1,029 | 1.1 miles |
| Washington Academy | 33.1 | 13% | 55.7% | 627 | 1.5 miles |
| Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy | 46.6 | 7.9% | 32.1% | 1,334 | 2.0 miles |
| Park View School | 46.4 | 7.3% | 24.2% | 1,631 | 3.0 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 16.93%
- English as an additional language
- 5.4%
- Overall absence
- 7.75%
- Persistent absence
- 21.24%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Biddick Academy0.3 miles
Secondary · Washington
-
Oxclose Community Academy1.1 miles
Secondary · Washington
-
Washington Academy1.5 miles
Secondary · Washington
-
Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy2.0 miles
Secondary · Chester le Street
-
Park View School3.0 miles
Secondary · Chester le Street
Other schools in Washington
- Biddick Academy Secondary
- Oxclose Community Academy Secondary
- Washington Academy Secondary
- Oxclose Nursery School Nursery
- Usworth Colliery Nursery School Nursery
- Albany Village Primary School Primary
- Barmston Village Primary School Primary
- Biddick Primary School Primary
- Blackfell Primary School Primary
- Fatfield Academy Primary
- George Washington Primary School Primary
- Holley Park Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington teach?
- St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Washington.
- Who is the head teacher of St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington?
- The head teacher of St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington is Mr C Hammill, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington?
- St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington has 1,527 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
- Is St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington full?
- St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington has capacity for 1,550 pupils and 1,527 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington a faith school?
- Yes. St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington is designated Roman Catholic, in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.
- Is St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington a selective school?
- No. St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington part of an academy trust?
- St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington is part of BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 50.6 in 2022/23 and 48.9 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington compare with other schools in Sunderland?
- St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington ranked 5th of 18 secondary schools in Sunderland for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 72% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 18% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington's absence rate?
- St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington's overall absence rate is 7.8% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.