King James I Academy Bishop Auckland, Bishop Auckland

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades King James I Academy Bishop Auckland on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders identify the needs of pupils quickly and accurately."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils progress well through the curriculum at all stages."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise improving school attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders know where there are strengths in the curriculum and teaching."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders create an inclusive environment that supports all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to be ready for their next stage."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils benefit from a structured programme of personal development."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders offer a wide range of options for post-16 study."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers check what pupils know and remember so that they do not move learning on before pupils are ready"; "Leaders should ensure that improvements made to the curriculum and teaching lead to pupils achieving at the highest level they can, particularly in the core subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that all pupils, at all stages, are supported to fully embed their learning in order to secure detailed knowledge of personal, social, health and economic education"; "Leaders should ensure that the professional learning programme is precisely matched to priority areas to embed improvements across the school".

In 2026, pupils at King James I Academy Bishop Auckland averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.6 in County Durham and 47 across England.

30% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in County Durham and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 43.9.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.21: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.7, against 47.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 152 families put King James I Academy Bishop Auckland as their first choice and 423 named it as one of their preferences, for 156 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to King James I Academy Bishop Auckland are Bishop Barrington Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 39); St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.8); Whitworth Park Academy (3.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.3); and Parkside Academy (3.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42).

King James I Academy Bishop Auckland's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

King James I Academy Bishop Auckland is one of 10 schools run by Eden Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.3 in 2024/25.

71 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about King James I Academy Bishop Auckland (as of April 2026): 83% would recommend the school, 79% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).

Of the 149 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 37% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

Of the 79 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 32% went on to university or other higher education, 13% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 6% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

47.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 205 pupils (21.9%) received SEN support and 26 (2.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.

King James I Academy Bishop Auckland provides for pupils with physical disability.

King James I Academy Bishop Auckland had 71 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Bishop Auckland Rail Station, about 620 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is South Church Rd King James Sch (s-bound), 140 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 229 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, King James I Academy Bishop Auckland issued 105 suspensions, 11.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to King James I Academy Bishop Auckland are Etherley Lane Primary School (0.5 miles), Cockton Hill Infant School (0.6 miles), Cockton Hill Junior School (0.6 miles) and St Andrew's Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.