St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester, Durham
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St Bede's is a caring, nurturing school where pupils feel safe and happy. Staff have made significant improvements to behaviour and created a calm, orderly environment where pupils want to attend. The school excels at supporting all learners, particularly those who need the most help, with excellent careers guidance ensuring pupils are well prepared for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Significant improvement in pupil behaviour with a calm and orderly environment across the school
- Strong reading programmes help younger pupils develop confidence as readers
- Excellent careers education helping pupils explore options in depth and develop ambitious next steps
- Dedicated staff working effectively to improve attendance, particularly for pupils with SEND
- Inclusive culture with high expectations for all pupils and good support for disadvantaged learners
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils not confident making connections across different topics and subjects
- Teaching occasionally does not account well enough for pupils' starting points and prior knowledge
- Adaptations for pupils with SEND are not always tailored precisely enough to individual needs
- Some parents express dissatisfaction with SEND provision
- Extra-curricular participation rates are relatively low and the school aims to develop this further
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Coding club, dance club, art club, chaplaincy group leadership, charity work, first aid training
St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College is a nurturing school where pupils are safe, cared for and happy, with significant improvements in behaviour and attendance since the last inspection. The school demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and those facing other barriers to learning.
At a Glance
22.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.2
Avg class size
56
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
1,240 pupils
1,450 capacity
210 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Durham
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Durham
Admissions Demand - County Durham
Places available
5,856
Applications
5,186
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
98.5%
Secondary admissions across County Durham (2025/26)
Inspection History(14)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.57129%
Overall absence
20.68085%
Persistent absence
1,175
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester
Nearby Schools
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