Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy, Chester le Street

In its own words: "Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy is a larger-than-average mixed secondary school in the town of Birtley. The school role is usually around 1450 students, including around 200 in the sixth form. The school occupies a large site, elevated above the east side of the town. Birtley is situated in the borough of Gateshead, and is between Gateshead and Chester-le-Street."

Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 12 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.3 in Gateshead and 47 across England.

39% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 50% in Gateshead and 47% in England.

That is down from 46.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.28: 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 37.3, against 48.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 260 families put Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy as their first choice and 479 named it as one of their preferences, for 272 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy are Oxclose Community Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 42.7); St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8); Biddick Academy (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.2); and Washington Academy (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41).

Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

169 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy (as of April 2026): 84% would recommend the school, 81% say their child is happy there and 58% 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) (58%).

Of the 240 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 101 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 59% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 19% into work. 12% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

7.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 138 pupils (10.3%) received SEN support and 28 (2.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Station Road, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lord Lawson Of Beamish Academy (s-bound), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 5th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 100 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Gateshead (176).

In 2024/25, Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy issued 178 suspensions, 13.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy are St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley (0.2 miles); Portobello Primary School (0.4 miles); Ravensworth Terrace Primary School (0.4 miles); and St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.