St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Darlington
St Bede's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Darlington, part of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 29 schools in Darlington with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Darlington (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Bede's Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at St Bede's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Darlington and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 91% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Bede's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 49 families put St Bede's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Bede's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Bede's Catholic Primary School are Harrowgate Hill Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 67% reading, 66% maths); Springfield Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); Northwood Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 58% reading, 71% maths); and Whinfield Primary School (0.7 miles, 79% reading, 85% maths).
St Bede's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Harrowgate Hill Primary SchoolSpringfield AcademyNorthwood Primary SchoolWhinfield Primary School
The trust
St Bede's Catholic Primary School is one of 35 schools run by Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
58 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Bede's Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 85% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (85%).
Who goes there
11.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 34 pupils (10.6%) received SEN support and 5 (1.6%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is North Road Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kingsway (i), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Bede's Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Bede's Catholic Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 4.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Bede's Catholic Primary School are Haughton Academy (0.6 miles), Longfield Academy (0.7 miles) and St Aidan's Church of England Academy (1.4 miles).
Haughton AcademyLongfield AcademySt Aidan's Church of England Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Bede's provides a warm, inclusive environment where children flourish. The school excels at teaching early reading with a systematic phonics programme starting in Reception and continuing for those who need it. Pupils are happy, well-behaved and enjoy many opportunities to take on leadership roles, making them feel valued and giving them a genuine voice in school life.
Key Strengths
- Strong family ethos with positive, nurturing relationships between staff and pupils
- Excellent early reading programme with well-trained staff who quickly identify and support pupils falling behind
- Pupils have many leadership opportunities and feel their voices are heard in school
- Good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning with calm, purposeful lessons
- Improved attendance and strong relationships with parents who hold the school in high regard
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects like maths and reading, checks on pupil understanding are not always used effectively to ensure pupils access the right learning at the right time
- Support plans for pupils with SEND are not always precise enough, meaning activities are not well matched to their needs and pupils don't secure basic knowledge before moving to more complex learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with pupils knowing trusted adults they can speak to about worries or concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Football club, Choir
St Bede's Catholic Primary School is a Good school with a strong family ethos built on kindness and respect. Recent curriculum changes and new leadership have raised expectations and improved outcomes for all pupils, including those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
11.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
58 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 91% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 74% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 80% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.4
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
12
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Bede's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Bede's Catholic Primary School.
- Secret Garden (Darlington) Limited at Springfield Primary890m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Bede's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Bede's Catholic Primary School is in Darlington; for families living there:
- Darlington's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy
- How to apply: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
4 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 Darlington is 9 (the median across 48 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
Your chances of a place at St Bede's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Bede's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Bede's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Bede's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Bede's Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Darlington, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Bede's Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Darlington got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
294 pupils
315 places
21 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Darlington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Darlington
Across Darlington council
Places available
1,260
Applications
1,075
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Darlington council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
12.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
322
Total Pupils
152
Boys
170
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
20.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,634
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,088
Per pupil
£1646k
Total funding
£65k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
7.5%
Persistent absence
265
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Bede's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Bede's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Bede's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is St Bede's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Bede's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Bede's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Darlington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
St Bede's Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Bede's Catholic Primary School average 26.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
St Bede's Catholic Primary School has around 322 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Bede's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 7.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Darlington's coordinated admissions process, naming St Bede's Catholic Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does St Bede's Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Bede's Catholic Primary School: Secret Garden (Darlington) Limited at Springfield Primary (890m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Darlington is 9 (the median across 48 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Bede's Catholic Primary School?
St Bede's Catholic Primary School is at Kingsway, Thompson Street East, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 3ES.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)