King James I Academy Bishop Auckland
97%
Capacity
926
Pupils
2.8x
Demand
About King James I Academy Bishop Auckland
King James I Academy Bishop Auckland is a mixed state secondary and sixth form in County Durham, serving 926 pupils aged 11 to 18. Within the local authority, it ranks 20th out of 31 schools of the same type based on Progress 8 scores, placing it in the bottom half of the county. The top-performing peers in the area are Tanfield School, St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham, and The Academy at Shotton Hall, all of which post stronger academic progress scores. The school is non-religious and led by headteacher Simon Whitehead. It is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 492 applications for 176 places, with 203 first-preference applications and 174 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.8. Over half of pupils (50.9%) are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, reflecting the school's role in a community with significant economic disadvantage.
Academically, the school's Progress 8 score is -0.21, which is exactly in line with the County Durham local authority average of -0.21. This score is banded as 'Average' nationally, placing King James I in the 64th percentile of all schools in England. Attainment 8 sits at 41.6, and 54.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though only 28.9% reached grade 5 or above. EBacc entry is low at 13.4%, with just 7.4% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the school performs more strongly: the average A-level grade is a B, with 25% of entries graded AAB or higher, and the value-added score is 0.02, also banded as 'Average'. Points per entry are 34.61, equivalent to a C+ grade. The most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management and sixth-form provision both judged Good; this was an improvement from a Requires Improvement rating in 2015.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, sixth form centre, sports hall, science labs, and playing fields, plus a chapel on site. Sports provision covers football, netball, rugby, cricket, rowing, gymnastics, and dance, while extracurricular clubs include Coding, Gardening, Drama, Book Club, Film Club, Eco Club, Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise, and Debate. SEND support is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that serves a high-needs community and is clearly popular locally despite middling academic outcomes. It will suit families who value a stable, inclusive environment with strong pastoral and SEND support, and who are looking for a sixth form that performs above the school's KS4 results might suggest.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | South Church Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7JZ |
| Headteacher | Simon Whitehead |
| Local Authority | County Durham |
| Number of Pupils | 926 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 50.9% |
| School Capacity | 926 / 956 (97% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
17 Feb 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (17 Feb 2022): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 2 May 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.21)
2039th of 3,141
Nationally
73rd of 142
In North East
20th of 31
In County Durham
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
32.7
'22/23
30.0
'23/24
34.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2345%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 134 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)45%
- FE college30%
- Not sustained7%
- Sixth form college6%
- Employment6%
- Apprenticeship5%
93% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2342%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 50 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
7%
Russell Group
9%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)42%
- Employment18%
- Not sustained16%
- Apprenticeship12%
- Other education6%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Mathematics8
- Sociology7
- Biology6
- Chemistry5
- Drama and Theatre Studies5
- English Language5
- Art and Design (Photography)4
- Art and Design (Fine Art)3
- History3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed176
492
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
203 families put this school as their 1st choice (41% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British92.7%
- Mixed1.6%
- White (other)1.5%
- Asian1.2%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
8
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About King James I Academy Bishop Auckland
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
South Church Road, Bishop Auckland
County Durham, DL14 7JZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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