St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields

St Bede’s Catholic Primary School in South Shields has been rated as outstanding in all areas during its first inspection since becoming an academy. The school prides itself on creating a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued, promoting individual growth through a robust curriculum infused with Catholic values. The children show impeccable behavior and have a strong sense of community, participating actively in their school and local environment.

Strengths

• Exceptional quality of education across all year groups
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
• Outstanding behavior and attitudes from pupils
• High parental satisfaction and community involvement
• Effective transition procedures to local secondary schools
• Ambitious curriculum that prepares pupils for future education
• Strong commitment from leadership and staff to student moral and academic development

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 St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.0% of pupils at St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields had 23.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 11.3% of pupils at St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields received £6,686 and spent £6,386 for each of its 229 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £57,000 (-£250 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, income was £7,338 and spending £7,295 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 South Shields · South Tyneside local authority: places and applications

St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, which runs 31 schools. The nearest others:

• St Wilfrid's RC College South Shields
• St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, South Shields South Shields
• SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, South Shields South Shields
• St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, South Shields South Shields
• St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Jarrow Jarrow
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School Jarrow
• St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, Jarrow Jarrow
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Jarrow Jarrow
• St Aloysius Catholic Junior School Academy Hebburn
• St Aloysius Catholic Infant School, Hebburn Hebburn

What is St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields is Outstanding, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields last inspected by Ofsted?

St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields have?

St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields has 231 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields cover?

St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields?

St Bede's Catholic Primary School, South Shields is at Claypath Lane, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 4PG.