King James I Academy Bishop Auckland
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-18 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | South Church Road Bishop Auckland County Durham DL14 7JZ |
| Phone | 01388603388 |
| Reference Number | 136770 |
King James I Academy in Bishop Auckland is performing at a strong standard, with notable strengths in safeguarding, inclusion, and personal development. The school fosters a positive learning environment, where teachers effectively support vulnerable pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs. The commitment to improving attendance and behavior has yielded positive results, contributing to a calm and orderly atmosphere conducive to learning. However, despite solid overall progress, there are areas for improvement, particularly in core subjects where some pupils are not achieving to their full potential.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 926 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 48.16%
Girls: 51.84% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 50.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 2.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 17.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 81 | 92 | 173 |
| 8 | 76 | 95 | 171 |
| 9 | 72 | 85 | 157 |
| 10 | 69 | 73 | 142 |
| 11 | 81 | 62 | 143 |
| 12 | 34 | 37 | 71 |
| 13 | 33 | 36 | 69 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 92.7% |
| White, Other | 1.5% |
| African | 1.2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.6% |
| Chinese | 0.6% |
| White & Asian | 0.5% |
| Pakistani | 0.4% |
| Unclassified | 0.3% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.3% |
| Indian | 0.2% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.2% |
| Caribbean | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Strong standard |
| > Post-16 Provision | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 17 Mar 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 17 Mar 2026 | School inspection |
| 16 Feb 2022 | School inspection |
| 28 Mar 2017 | Full inspection |
| 14 Apr 2015 | Full inspection |
| 16 May 2012 | Full inspection |
| 14 Feb 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| Previously as King James I Community Arts College | |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| 25 Mar 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 25 Mar 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 24 Jan 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 24 Jan 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 14 Jan 2002 | Full inspection |
| 14 Jan 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Leaders quickly identify and support the needs of all pupils.
- Effective tracking of pupil progress ensures timely interventions.
- Highly effective pastoral support for pupil wellbeing and personal development.
- Strong safeguarding culture that makes pupils feel safe.
- Pupils generally produce high-quality work and achieve well.
- Leaders engage well with parents and external professionals.
Areas for Improvement
- Some strategies for checking pupil understanding are not consistently applied.
- Minority of pupils in core subjects do not achieve at higher levels.
- Professional learning programme not precisely matched to key priority areas.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 43.9 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 28.7% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 56.6% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 32.68 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 31.28 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | C | B- | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 7.7% |
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 180 | 2 |
| Third Preference | 109 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 1 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Etherley Lane Primary School
Clarence Gardens, Etherley Lane, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7RB |
0.48 miles |
|
Etherley Lane Nursery School
Hazel Grove, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7RF |
0.51 miles |
|
Cockton Hill Junior School
McIntyre Terrace, Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6HW |
0.58 miles |
|
Cockton Hill Infant School
McIntyre Terrace, Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6HW |
0.58 miles |
|
Evergreen Primary School
Warwick Road, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6LS |
0.71 miles |
|
St Andrew's Academy
St Andrew's Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6RY |
0.73 miles |
|
St Anne's CofE Primary School
Warwick Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6LS |
0.8 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, Bishop Auckland
Murphy Crescent, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6QH |
1.08 miles |
|
Prince Bishops Community Primary School
Gibson Street, Coundon Grange, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 8DY |
1.14 miles |
|
Aclet Close Nursery School
Aclet Close, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6PX |
1.15 miles |
|
Woodhouse Primary Academy
Walker Drive, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6QW |
1.42 miles |
|
Victoria Lane Academy
Victoria Lane, Coundon, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 8NN |
1.7 miles |
|
Escomb Primary School
Three Lane Ends, Escomb, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7SR |
1.71 miles |
|
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Coundon
Victoria Lane, Coundon, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 8NN |
1.72 miles |
|
Thornhill Primary School
Thornhill Gardens, Shildon, County Durham, DL4 1ES |
1.85 miles |
|
St John's Church of England Aided Primary School, Shildon
Jubilee Road, Shildon, County Durham, DL4 2EQ |
2.28 miles |
|
St Helen Auckland Community Primary School
Manor Road, St Helen Auckland, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 9EN |
2.37 miles |
|
Timothy Hackworth Primary School
Byerley Road, Shildon, County Durham, DL4 1HN |
2.38 miles |
|
Hunwick Primary School
Church Lane, Hunwick, Crook, County Durham, DL15 0JX |
2.4 miles |
|
St Chad's Catholic Primary School, Witton Park
The Baltic, Witton Park, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 0EP |
2.65 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Bishop Barrington Academy
Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6LA |
1 miles |
|
St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College
Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6JT |
1.09 miles |
|
Bishop Auckland College
Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6JZ |
1.19 miles |
|
The Oaks Secondary School
Rock Road, Spennymoor, DL16 7DB |
3.17 miles |
|
Whitworth Park Academy
Whitworth Lane, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 7LN |
3.26 miles |
|
The Meadows Academy
Whitworth Lane, Spennymoor, DL16 7QW |
3.28 miles |
|
Parkside Academy
Hall Lane Estate, Willington, Crook, County Durham, DL15 0QF |
3.29 miles |
|
The Grange Learning Centre
[Postcode DL15 0TY], Low Willington, County Durham, DL15 0TY |
3.54 miles |
|
Oakwood Learning Centre
NEW BIGGIN LANE, HEIGHINGTON, DARLINGTON, COUNTY DURHAM, DL2 2UH |
3.77 miles |
|
Greenfield Academy
Greenfield Way, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 7LF |
3.95 miles |
|
Ferryhill School
Merrington Road, Ferryhill, County Durham, DL17 8RW |
4.11 miles |
|
Aycliffe Secure Centre
Care of: Durham County Council, Ferryhill, DL17 0SD |
4.27 miles |
|
Pear Tree School
Toy Top Farm, Houghton Bank, Heighington, DARLINGTON, County Durham, DL2 2UQ |
4.29 miles |
|
Woodham Academy
Washington Crescent, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 4AX |
4.9 miles |