Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy
98%
Capacity
1,029
Pupils
2.2x
Demand
About Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy
Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy is a mixed 11-16 state secondary in Stockton-on-Tees, serving 1,029 pupils under headteacher Maureen Wilkinson. It sits within a local authority of 14 same-type schools, where it ranks 12th on Progress 8. The three highest-performing peers in the area are St Michael's Catholic Academy, All Saints Church of England Academy, and Ingleby Manor Free School. The nearest school with an Outstanding Ofsted rating is The Grangefield Academy, just 0.6 km away. Our Lady & St. Bede itself was rated Good in its most recent graded inspection in June 2025, with all key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — each judged Good. That marks a change from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Outstanding overall. The school is Roman Catholic in character and is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 416 applications for 190 places, with 182 first-preference offers made.
Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score for 2023/24 was -0.4, which is below the local authority average of -0.11 and places it in the bottom 50 nationally. Within the North East region, it ranks 98th out of 142 schools on this measure. The Attainment 8 score sits at 45.5, and 42.8% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs (the basics 5+ measure), compared with 70.7% achieving a grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score was 3.98, with 31.7% of pupils entering the EBacc and 18.8% achieving it at grade 5 or above. Progress in English was -0.21, while maths progress was notably lower at -0.64. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. Parent View responses, collected between September 2024 and September 2025 from 222 respondents, show 75% would recommend the school, with strong majorities agreeing their child is happy (82% agree or strongly agree) and feels safe (83%).
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, tennis courts, and a chapel. Sports on offer include cricket, rowing, swimming, basketball, rugby, football, and gymnastics, while clubs include Science Club, Art Club, DofE, Film Club, and Model UN. For SEND, the school has a resourced provision and supports pupils with specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View data on SEND support is more mixed: 63% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, while 37% disagreed or strongly disagreed. With 23.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. Given its oversubscription, families applying should be aware of the high demand and the school’s Catholic character, which will likely be a factor in admissions criteria.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Bishopton Road West, Stockton-on-Tees, Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 0QH |
| Headteacher | Maureen Wilkinson |
| Local Authority | Stockton-on-Tees |
| Number of Pupils | 1,029 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 23.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,029 / 1,050 (98% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 Jun 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 8 Sept 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.40)
2458th of 3,141
Nationally
98th of 142
In North East
12th of 13
In Stockton-on-Tees
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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/232%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 177 pupils).
- FE college49%
- Sixth form college34%
- Not sustained7%
- Employment4%
- Apprenticeship3%
- School sixth form (stay)2%
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.
Ofsted Parent View
222 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed190
416
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
182 families put this school as their 1st choice (44% 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 half 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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British79.9%
- Asian5.5%
- White (other)4.0%
- Mixed3.4%
- Black0.2%
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.
15
Total schools
15
Oversubscribed
12
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy
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
Bishopton Road West, Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 0QH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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