Bedlington Academy

Bedlington Academy has demonstrated a strong performance across key areas, earning a 'Good' rating in overall effectiveness as well as in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The school has a friendly and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The leadership's commitment to inclusion and prioritization of cultural development is notable, as is the successful implementation of a broad curriculum which includes modern foreign languages and arts education. Nonetheless, it’s the first inspection since the school's transition to the North East Learning Trust, indicating significant recent changes in leadership and structure.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community with positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective behaviour management systems leading to a respectful school environment.
• Broad curriculum including modern foreign languages and arts.
• Commitment to inclusivity with support for SEND pupils.
• Pupils enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities.
• Leadership fosters a culture of respect and accountability.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle to recall subject-specific terms and concepts.
• Careers guidance is not integrated effectively throughout the curriculum.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Bedlington Academy attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 14.3% of pupils at Bedlington Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 9 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Bedlington Academy had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.6% of pupils at Bedlington Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Bedlington Academy received £8,359 and spent £8,204 for each of its 828 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £683,000 (£824 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of North East Learning Trust, income was £8,623 and spending £8,502 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bedlington · Northumberland local authority: places and applications

Bedlington Academy is part of North East Learning Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Meadowdale Academy Bedlington
• Ashington Academy Ashington
• Churchill Academy Wallsend
• Carville Academy Wallsend
• Diamond Hall Junior Academy Sunderland
• Biddick Academy Washington
• Hermitage Academy Chester Le Street
• Sacriston Academy Durham
• Easington Academy Peterlee
• Browney Primary Academy Browney

What is Bedlington Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bedlington Academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2022.

When was Bedlington Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Bedlington Academy was last inspected in October 2022.

How many pupils does Bedlington Academy have?

Bedlington Academy has 822 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bedlington Academy cover?

Bedlington Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Bedlington Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.6, and 52% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bedlington Academy?

Bedlington Academy is at Palace Road, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 7DS.