St Wilfrid's RC College is a mainstream secondary school in South Shields, South Tyneside, for children and young people aged 11 to 19. In January 2026, 147 of its 1,271 pupils (11.6%) were getting SEN support and 15 (1.2%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–19
- 1,271 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in South Tyneside.
11.6% get SEN support
147 of 1,271 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
1.2% have an EHC plan
15 of 1,271 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Lower than the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health52
- Autism43
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia39
- Moderate learning difficulty18
- Speech, language and communication8
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,271 (places for 1,450)
- Headteacher
- Mr Glenn Sanderson
- Part of
- Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 34.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- South Tyneside
- School reference (URN)
- 142601
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask South Tyneside council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, April 2025; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (February 2024)
Inspected in April 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, February 2024).
Contact and getting there
Temple Park Road, South Shields, NE34 0QA
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Park View School Special school · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Harton Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
- Epinay Business and Enterprise School Special school · Ages 4–18 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.2 miles
- Lord Blyton Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.2 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Ashley Academy Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 22.2%, EHC plans 1.3% 0.0 miles
- Stanhope Primary School Primary · Ages 5–11 · SEN support 19.3%, EHC plans 0.4% 0.3 miles
- Mortimer Primary School Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 18.2%, EHC plans 0.7% 0.3 miles
All mainstream schools in South Tyneside SEND schools in South Tyneside
Questions about St Wilfrid's RC College
How many pupils at St Wilfrid's RC College have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 147 of the 1,271 pupils (11.6%) were getting SEN support and 15 (1.2%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Wilfrid's RC College?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (52 pupils), autism (43 pupils) and dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (39 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Wilfrid's RC College?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Wilfrid's RC College?
Through South Tyneside council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Wilfrid's RC College?
You can ask for St Wilfrid's RC College to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Wilfrid's RC College have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Harton Academy, about 0.9 miles away.
Where is St Wilfrid's RC College?
Temple Park Road, South Shields, NE34 0QA, in South Tyneside.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.