St Aidan's Catholic Academy

What St Aidan's Catholic Academy does

St Aidan's Catholic Academy is a state-funded Catholic secondary school located in Sunderland, United Kingdom, tracing its origins to St Mary's Grammar School founded in 1928 by Canon Smith. The academy serves male students aged 11-16 across Years 7-11, plus a joint sixth form with St Anthony's Catholic School for Years 12-13. It operates as part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust (BCCET), a multi-academy trust of 31 schools, and is affiliated with the Edmund Rice Network of faith-based schools. Core products are academic curriculum across 18 GCSE subjects, structured literacy interventions (Reading Canon, Scholarly Reading, Reading Plus, Sounds Write Phonics), character development programmes (CLIMB, Ascent Programme, One Voice Pupil Leadership), and an enrichment portfolio of 35+ clubs. Specialist provision includes SEND support, peripatetic music tuition, and Catholic Social Teaching-led faith formation.

The underlying technology stack is built on standard third-party ed-tech tools rather than proprietary systems: Microsoft Teams hosts CLIMB Rooms (Years 7-8) and SUMMIT Rooms (Years 9-11) for digital curriculum extension; Sparx Maths and EDUCAKE deliver personalised homework; Arbor serves as the school management platform for enrollment, timetables and enrichment booking; and the DofE App supports Duke of Edinburgh Award administration. There is no proprietary technology, no in-house AI/ML capability, and no disclosed data assets.

Revenue derives primarily from UK government per-pupil funding, supplemented by fee-based ancillary streams: peripatetic music tuition at £72 per cycle for instruments including guitar, brass, drums, piano, violin, cello and woodwind; school meals catering; and uniform sales. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via formal local authority admissions with faith-based oversubscription criteria, supplemented by open days, prospectus distribution, and primary school feeder relationships within the trust. The academy achieved Outstanding ratings from the Catholic Schools Inspectorate in 2023 across Catholic Life, Religious Education and Collective Worship, and was ranked in the Top 10 of 177 secondary schools in the North East for Progress 8 and Attainment in 2022-23.

Name

St Aidan's Catholic Academy

Legal name

St. Aidan's Catholic Academy

Website

https://staidanscatholicacademy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St Aidan's Catholic Academy is a state-funded Catholic secondary school in Sunderland, UK, serving male pupils aged 11-16 across Years 7-11 plus a joint sixth form, with curriculum, literacy, character, and enrichment programmes delivered through Microsoft Teams and standard ed-tech platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunderland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Education Funding): State-funded academy receiving government per-pupil funding for secondary education services
2. Peripatetic Music Lessons: Fee-based instrumental tuition programme offering guitar, brass, drums, piano, and woodwind lessons at £72.00 per cycle
3. School Meals: Catering services provided to students
4. Uniform Sales: School uniform provision to parents

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

St Aidan's Catholic Academy is a Catholic boys' secondary school and sixth form in Sunderland delivering Years 7-13 education, including GCSE preparation, A-levels and BTECs through a joint sixth form with St. Anthony's Catholic School. The academy provides a full National Curriculum alongside Catholic formation rooted in the Edmund Rice tradition, supplemented by specialist literacy and numeracy interventions, SEND support, character development programmes (CLIMB, Ascent, One Voice), and an enrichment programme of 35+ extracurricular clubs.

Product overview

St Aidan's Catholic Academy is an educational institution offering a comprehensive curriculum and support services across Years 7-13. The academy operates as a unified educational platform comprising core academic curriculum (English, Maths, Science, RE, Languages, Humanities, Arts, PE), specialist intervention programmes (Reading Canon, Scholarly Reading, Sounds Write Phonics, Reading Plus), character development initiatives (Ascent Programme, CLIMB, One Voice Leadership), and enrichment activities (35+ clubs). The academy is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust and works closely with St. Anthony's for joint sixth form provision. Digital learning is facilitated through Microsoft Teams with CLIMB and SUMMIT rooms, supported by homework platforms Sparx Maths and EDUCAKE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reading Canon Programme A daily tutor-group reading programme for Years 7-13 where pupils read three books per year communally, targeting fifteen books read by Year 13. Designed to improve reading for pleasure and literacy outcomes for all enrolled students.
• Scholarly Reading Programme A disciplinary reading programme that introduces students to academic texts around each subject, building cultural capital and subject vocabulary by prefacing new topics with key texts from experts.
• Reading Plus Intervention An individualised reading comprehension programme tailored to each pupil's reading age, monitored for progress against a target of 220 words per minute reading pace.
• Sounds Write Phonics Intervention Small-group or one-to-one phonic intervention using diagnostic testing to identify specific needs in segmenting, blending and phoneme manipulation for pupils requiring phonics support.
• Drop Everything And Reason (DEAR) A whole-academy problem-solving and reasoning activity in which students complete mathematical challenges designed to address common gaps and misconceptions in numeracy.
• Ascent Character Development Programme A character development programme built on six strands — Civic Engagement, Arts and Culture, Nature, Outdoor and Adventure, Sport and Physical Activity, and Life and Future Skills — supporting personal development beyond the academic curriculum.
• CLIMB Programme A character development approach for Years 7-8 that provides structured activities to help pupils develop personally beyond the academic curriculum.
• Enrichment Programme An extracurricular programme of more than 35 clubs including VEX Robotics, Duke of Edinburgh, Chess, Science Club, Music, Sports, Spanish Club, Debating Society, and academic support, with all Year 7 and 8 pupils expected to participate in at least one activity per week.
• Music Peripatetic Programme Specialist instrumental tuition in guitar, brass, drums, piano, violin, cello and woodwind delivered during school hours as peripatetic lessons at £72 per cycle.
• Sixth Form Provision A joint sixth form with St. Anthony's Catholic School delivering A-levels, BTEC courses, and bridging units for transition from GCSE to advanced study, using facilities including The Briery, Gabriel House, and Somerleyton House. Open to internal and external applicants.
• SEND Support Services Special Educational Needs provision including SENDCo support, literacy interventions, phonics support, exam access arrangements, Office 10 base, and tailored classroom scaffolding for students with dyslexia, autism, and other learning needs.
• GCSE Examination Preparation GCSE courses across 18 subjects including Art, Business, English, Geography, History, ICT, Maths, Media, Music, PE, RE, Science, and Spanish delivered with associated exam boards for Year 10-11 pupils.
• Careers Education Programme A careers programme from Year 7 to Year 13 that provides career guidance, employer engagement, workplace visits, and university exposure to prepare students for post-16 and post-18 pathways.
• One Voice Pupil Leadership Programme A pupil leadership and voice programme comprising Head Boy, House Captains, and sub-groups covering Anti-Bullying, Catholic Ethos/IMPACT, Enrichment, Equality and Diversity, and Wellbeing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 10 North East school for Progress 8 and Attainment (2022-23 among 177 secondary schools)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Anthony's Catholic School (Joint Sixth Form)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018St Aidan's and St. Anthony's have collaborated for decades to deliver post-16 education. From September 2018, they provide a joint sixth form offer to students from both schools and beyond. Joint facilities include The Briery (St Aidan's), Gabriel House, and Somerleyton House (St. Anthony's).
• Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust (BCCET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Aidan's is part of BCCET, a Catholic multi-academy trust serving the east area of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. The trust comprises 31 schools across East Durham, South Tyneside and Sunderland. As part of the trust, the academy participates in shared curriculum development, governance, and professional development while maintaining its Edmund Rice Catholic identity.
• Edmund Rice NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Edmund Rice Network, a family of schools committed to faith, justice, inclusion and transformation of lives through education. Inspired by Blessed Edmund Rice, the network shapes the academy's Catholic mission focusing on servant leadership, compassion, and social justice.
• Local Enterprises (Business Enterprise Programme)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness Enterprise curriculum incorporates local enterprise visitors who attend academy for one-to-one mentoring and marketplace events, providing real-world case studies for coursework units in the BTEC Enterprise qualification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• St Mary's Catholic Comprehensive School: Catholic secondary school in Newcastle upon Tyne within the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Directly comparable faith-based K-12 secondary model serving a similar North East Catholic community.
• St Anthony's Catholic School: Sunderland-based Catholic secondary school operating a joint sixth form with St Aidan's since 2018. Closest geographic and structural peer: same city, same BCCET trust, same Catholic mission and complementary curriculum.
• St Thomas More Catholic School: Catholic secondary school in Blaydon (Tyne and Wear) within the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Comparable faith-based secondary offering serving a similar North East demographic.
• Cardinal Hume Catholic School: Catholic secondary school in Gateshead within the same Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Comparable faith-based secondary offering, Outstanding reputation and similar North East demographic catchment.
• Corpus Christi Catholic School: Catholic secondary school in the Newcastle area, part of the same diocesan family. Comparable Catholic mission, similar curriculum model and parallel trust governance structure.
• St Bede's Catholic School: Catholic secondary school in Lanchester (County Durham), within the same diocesan footprint. Comparable faith-based K-12 model and similar pastoral/curriculum structure to St Aidan's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sacatholicacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/st-aidan's-catholic-academy

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St Aidan's Catholic Academy