St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy
Bedlington, NE22 6ED · Northumberland · secondary school
Check the area around this school
10th of 16 secondary schools in Northumberland we can score, 27 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 4.0/10 against 707 of them, against 3.1/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 34.5 · 24 | 30% | 0.70 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.17 · 37 | 25% | 0.93 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 43.6 · 37 | 10% | 0.37 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 31.0% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 41.3, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 in 2023/24 was -0.17, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (3.3 out of 10 against similar schools, 2.7 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Good in March 2023.
Getting in
The published school roll is 994 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,140. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific interventions are in place to improve Progress 8 scores for students from similar backgrounds?
What Ofsted said about St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy
Overview
The report describes a school with a “strong sense of community” where pupils “get along well” with staff and peers. Leaders have planned a curriculum offering a “broad range of subjects” that allows pupils to build on previous learning, supported by effective questioning and improved provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Strengths
- The curriculum provides a “rich experience” of humanities, creative subjects, and languages, with a “comprehensive” careers programme.
- Staff are “well trained” in safeguarding, and concerns are reported quickly through “effective systems” to identify at-risk pupils.
- Leaders have developed support for pupils with SEND, involving families in progress discussions, which has had a “noticeable impact”.
- A planned reading programme is helping “weaker readers to catch up”, with English playing an important part in supporting literacy.
- Staff workload is managed through a “proportionate approach to assessment”, and senior leaders “listen to their views”.
Areas to improve
- Attendance rates for some pupils are “not high enough”, affecting learning; the school should evaluate the impact of recent investment in attendance strategies.
- The enrichment programme does not reach as many pupils as it could, particularly in key stage 4; the school should “expand the range of opportunities” to nurture all pupils’ talents.
- Leaders do not quality assure the personal development curriculum as rigorously as other subjects; the school should take steps to deepen pupils’ understanding of British values.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective”, with staff having a “good understanding of safeguarding” and working “timely and thorough” with external agencies.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 44.7 |
| 2024/25 | 41.3 |
| 2025/26 | 43.6 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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