Venerable Bede Church of England Academy, Sunderland
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Sunderland, part of Northern Lights Learning Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2026 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 7th-highest of the 13 schools in Sunderland with published results, and 2,159th of 3,298 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Sunderland (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.8 in Sunderland and 47 across England.
45% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Sunderland and 47% in England.
That is down from 44.1 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.04: pupils made well 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 34.2, against 48.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.3 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
For September 2026 entry, 57 families put Venerable Bede Church of England Academy as their first choice and 140 named it as one of their preferences, for 64 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Venerable Bede Church of England Academy are Southmoor Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.8); St Aidan's Catholic Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.6); Farringdon Community Academy (1.5 miles, Attainment 8 46.2); and Thornhill Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.8).
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Southmoor AcademySt Aidan's Catholic AcademyFarringdon Community AcademyThornhill Academy
The trust
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is one of 12 schools run by Northern Lights Learning Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
108 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Venerable Bede Church of England Academy (as of April 2026): 30% would recommend the school, 44% say their child is happy there and 22% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (55%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (22%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 177 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 68% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.
Who goes there
34.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 94 pupils (12.7%) received SEN support and 10 (1.4%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Park Lane (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tunstall Village Green (e-bound), 260 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Venerable Bede Church of England Academy issued 722 suspensions, 85.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Venerable Bede Church of England Academy are St Leonard's Catholic Primary School, Silksworth (0.4 miles); New Silksworth Academy Junior (0.4 miles); New Silksworth Academy Infant (0.4 miles); and Hill View Infant Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Leonard's Catholic Primary School, SilksworthNew Silksworth Academy JuniorNew Silksworth Academy InfantHill View Infant 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 destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Sunderland published that the last place for 2024 entry went to a family 2.085 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoThis judgement is from May 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school is making genuine progress with its teaching and culture. Leaders have improved lesson structures and are helping pupils settle quickly into learning with clearer expectations and better vocabulary teaching. The school has invested in pastoral care, and pupils now report feeling safer and more cared for, with behaviour improving and a calmer school environment.
Key Strengths
- Leadership and trustees are focused on the right improvement priorities with accurate self-evaluation
- Teaching is becoming more consistent with better lesson structures and explicit vocabulary teaching
- Attendance is improving through targeted projects and expanded support teams
- Behaviour is getting better with a calmer, more focused culture and reducing sanctions
- Pupils increasingly speak positively about lessons and feel safe and cared for in school
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum implementation remains inconsistent and pupils do not always have secure understanding of what they have been taught
- Subject-specific vocabulary knowledge is still weak among some pupils
- Pupils, including disadvantaged groups, are not well prepared for external tests and next steps
- Attendance remains below national average, particularly for pupils with SEND
- Some lesson tasks are too easy or narrow, limiting pupils' opportunity to apply and deepen learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding was evaluated as effective at the previous graded inspection.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, trips, healthy relationships education, online safety
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is a secondary school in Sunderland currently working to improve after being judged to require significant improvement. Leaders and trustees are taking effective action to address key areas, though continued work is needed to remove this designation.
About
The Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is a coeducational secondary school located in the Tunstall area of Ryhope, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The school is named after Saint Bede, a monk, author and scholar who wrote Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
34.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
108 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -1.04 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 41.9 to 43.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 35% to 45% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.1 | 44.6% |
| Disadvantaged(63) | - | 34.2 | 27% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(105) | - | 48.5 | 55.2% |
| Boys(85) | - | 44.8 | 52.9% |
| Girls(83) | - | 41.4 | 36.1% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(164) | - | 43.5 | 45.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 177 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
8
Permanent exclusions
0.95%
Exclusion rate
722
Suspensions
85.65%
Suspension rate
121 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 843 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Venerable Bede Church of England Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is in Sunderland; for families living there:
Apply to Sunderland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 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 Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 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 Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
Will you get a place at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Venerable Bede Church of England Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Venerable Bede Church of England Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Venerable Bede Church of England Academy.
- Last distance offered for 2023 and 2024 entry, from Sunderland's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Sunderland 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
87%
Available places
828 pupils
951 places
123 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sunderland
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sunderland
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,305
Applications
2,921
Got 1st preference
92.9%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
94
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
14.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
738
Total Pupils
371
Boys
367
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
47
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,036
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,044
Per pupil
£6404k
Total funding
£288k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.7%
Overall absence
32.9%
Persistent absence
863
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
What are GCSE results like at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.1. 45% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Venerable Bede Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2016, it was rated Good.
How close to Venerable Bede Church of England Academy do you need to live?
Sunderland publishes how far the last offered place was, in miles: 4.128 for 2023 entry, then 2.085 for 2024 entry. The cut-off has tightened over that period, which usually means demand is growing faster than places. These are the authority's own figures, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications each year.
Is it hard to get a place at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 951 places.
How big are the classes at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
Classes at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy average 22.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy has around 738 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
12.7% of sessions were missed at Venerable Bede Church of England Academy in 2024/25. 32.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
Apply through Sunderland's coordinated admissions process, naming Venerable Bede Church of England Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 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 Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Venerable Bede Church of England Academy?
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is at Tunstall Bank, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 0SX.
Sources: Sunderland admissions booklets; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)