Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre, South Shields
Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre is a pru school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in South Shields. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre in detail
Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 25 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 28% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 28% to a further education college and 8% into work.
Who goes there
83.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 70 pupils (89.7%) received SEN support and 7 (9%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Tyne Dock (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 660 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Temple Park Road-Stanhope Road (se-bound), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 431 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in South Tyneside (182), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
83.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre is in South Tyneside; for families living there:
Apply to South Tyneside for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in South Tyneside is 13 (the median across 64 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - South Shields
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for South Shields
Across South Tyneside council
Places available
1,804
Applications
1,548
Got 1st preference
89.2%
Got preferred school
96.9%
All secondary applications across South Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
98.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
78
Total Pupils
52
Boys
26
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
5.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,597
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre
What is Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre's Ofsted rating?
Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre?
No fixed boundary. When Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre is oversubscribed, South Tyneside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre?
Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre has around 78 pupils on roll. 83% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre?
Apply through South Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in South Tyneside is 13 (the median across 64 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre?
Alternative Education Service - The Beacon Centre is at Temple Park Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0QA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)