Bishop Barrington Academy

Bishop Barrington Academy is performing well with an overall effectiveness rating of 'Good'. This is the school's first inspection since it opened in September 2021, and it has shown significant improvements in both leadership and curriculum design. School leaders have set high expectations for both behavior and academic achievement, which are reflected in students' positive conduct and engagement in the school community. The curriculum has been redesigned to better prepare students for their future, and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive effective support, enabling them to achieve well. However, challenges remain, particularly in ensuring that all students attend regularly, as too many are currently absent and missing important learning experiences.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupils' academic achievement
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
• Effective careers education and guidance
• A wide range of extracurricular opportunities
• Positive behavior and attitudes among pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment information by teachers to adapt instruction
• Too many pupils are regularly absent from school

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 Bishop Barrington Academy attended 88.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 36.9% 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, 4.7% of pupils at Bishop Barrington Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Bishop Barrington Academy had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.3% 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, 21.4% of pupils at Bishop Barrington Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% 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 Bishop Barrington Academy received £9,685 and spent £10,097 for each of its 609 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,034,000 (£1,697 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of Advance Learning Partnership, income was £8,477 and spending £8,506 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 Bishop Auckland · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Bishop Barrington Academy is part of Advance Learning Partnership, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodhouse Primary Academy Bishop Auckland
• Copeland Road Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Hunwick Primary School Crook
• Parkside Academy Crook
• Witton-le-Wear Primary School Bishop Auckland
• Howden-le-Wear Primary School Crook
• Middlestone Moor Academy Durham
• Greenfield Academy Newton Aycliffe
• Whitworth Park Academy Spennymoor
• Hartside Primary Academy Crook

What is Bishop Barrington Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bishop Barrington Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Bishop Barrington Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Bishop Barrington Academy was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Bishop Barrington Academy have?

Bishop Barrington Academy has 599 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bishop Barrington Academy cover?

Bishop Barrington Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Bishop Barrington Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.0, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bishop Barrington Academy?

Bishop Barrington Academy is at Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6LA.