St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-18 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Consett Road Lanchester Durham DH7 0RD |
| Phone | 01207520424 |
| Reference Number | 138172 |
St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College demonstrates a strong standard of education with notable strengths in safeguarding, curriculum design, and personal development. The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum that prepares pupils well for their next steps, with a particular focus on reading and oracy across subjects. Attendance is improving, and behaviour has significantly improved since the last inspection, creating a calm and positive learning environment. The school recognizes areas for further development, particularly in supporting pupils with special educational needs and those who struggle to connect learning across subjects.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1258 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.68%
Girls: 50.32% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 19.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 6.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 21.2 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 115 | 123 | 238 |
| 8 | 111 | 115 | 226 |
| 9 | 107 | 123 | 230 |
| 10 | 125 | 112 | 237 |
| 11 | 116 | 108 | 224 |
| 12 | 20 | 23 | 43 |
| 13 | 31 | 29 | 60 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 89.7% |
| White, Other | 5.1% |
| African | 1% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.7% |
| White & Asian | 0.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.6% |
| Asian, Other | 0.6% |
| Irish | 0.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.4% |
| Indian | 0.3% |
| Unclassified | 0.2% |
| Pakistani | 0.2% |
| Chinese | 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 | Expected standard |
| > Post-16 Provision | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 17 Mar 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 17 Mar 2026 | School inspection |
| 21 Mar 2023 | School inspection |
| 10 Aug 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 21 Sep 2010 | Curriculum and development visit |
| Previously as St Bede's Catholic Comprehensive School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester | |
| 21 Sep 2010 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 22 Jan 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 22 Jan 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 22 Jan 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 22 Jan 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 24 May 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 24 May 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 14 Nov 2000 | Full inspection |
| 14 Nov 2000 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Strong safeguarding culture where all staff take responsibility
- Well-planned reading programmes enhancing literacy skills
- Clear focus on English, mathematics, and communication in teaching
- Positive behaviour climate recognized by staff and parents
- Effective personal development programme covering essential life skills
- High-quality careers education guiding pupils towards ambitious futures
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils lack confidence in making connections across subjects
- Pupils with special educational needs require more tailored support
- Teaching occasionally fails to deepen pupils' learning effectively
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 44.9 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 42.4% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 62.5% |
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 | 33.63 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 36.03 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | B- | B- | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 21.4% |
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 139 | 12 |
| Third Preference | 80 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 3 | 3 |
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 |
|
All Saints' Catholic Primary School, Lanchester
Kitswell Road, Lanchester, Durham, DH7 0JG |
0.29 miles |
|
Lanchester Endowed Parochial Primary School
Front Street, Lanchester, Durham, DH7 0HU |
0.33 miles |
|
Burnhope Primary School
Langley Avenue, Burnhope, Durham, DH7 0AG |
1.59 miles |
|
Annfield Plain Infant School
Northgate, Annfield Plain, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 7UY |
1.96 miles |
|
Annfield Plain Junior School
Front Street, Annfield Plain, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 7ST |
2.06 miles |
|
Catchgate Primary School
Blackett Street, Catchgate, STANLEY, County Durham, DH9 8LX |
2.29 miles |
|
Greenland Community Primary School
South Moor Road, South Moor, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 7EZ |
2.57 miles |
|
Oxhill Nursery School
Oxhill, Stanley, DH9 7LR |
2.98 miles |
|
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, South Moor
Hustledown, South Moor, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 6PH |
2.99 miles |
|
Our Lady and St Joseph Brooms Catholic Primary School, Leadgate
St Ives Road, Leadgate, Consett, County Durham, DH8 7SN |
3.02 miles |
|
South Stanley Junior School
Tyne Road, South Stanley, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 6PZ |
3.08 miles |
|
Leadgate Primary School - Split Site
Alder Grove and West Street, Leadgate, West Street, Consett, County Durham, DH8 7RH |
3.08 miles |
|
Delves Lane Primary School
Delves Lane, Consett, County Durham, DH8 7ES |
3.09 miles |
|
South Stanley Infant and Nursery School
Tyne Road, South Stanley, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 6PZ |
3.12 miles |
|
Bloemfontein Primary School
The Middles, Craghead, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 6AG |
3.16 miles |
|
Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School
Front Street, Esh, Durham, County Durham, DH7 9QR |
3.31 miles |
|
St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Esh Village
Esh Village, Durham, County Durham, DH7 9QY |
3.32 miles |
|
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Dipton
North Road, Dipton, Flint Hill, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 9BB |
3.4 miles |
|
Collierley Nursery and Primary School
Front Street, Dipton, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 9DJ |
3.4 miles |
|
St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Stanley
Front Street, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 0NP |
3.6 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Croft Community School
Greencroft Road End, Annfield Plain, Stanley, DH9 8PR |
2.69 miles |
|
Villa Real School
Villa Real Road, Consett, County Durham, DH8 6BH |
3.68 miles |
|
North Durham Academy
High Street, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 0TW |
3.73 miles |
|
Tanfield School
Tanfield Lea Road, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 8AY |
3.73 miles |
|
Consett Academy
Ashdale Road, Consett, County Durham, DH8 6LZ |
3.84 miles |
|
Derwentside College
Front Street, Consett, County Durham, DH8 5EE |
3.85 miles |
|
The Independent Grammar School:Durham
Acton Road, Esh Winning, County Durham, DH7 9QF |
4.45 miles |