St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Sacriston

About St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Sacriston

St Bede's Catholic Primary School in Sacriston is a small state primary that clearly appeals to local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 25 applications for just 12 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.08, and all 11 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. That level of demand suggests parents who get to know the school tend to make it their top choice. The school has a strong religious character as a Roman Catholic primary, which will be a key draw for many families in the area. With just 91 pupils on roll against a capacity of 112, it is not at full capacity, but the oversubscription figures show that competition for places is real. The most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in September 2023, rated the school Good across every category: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2014, so the school has maintained a solid standard over time.

Academically, St Bede's produces mixed results at Key Stage 2. In the 2023/24 assessments, 54% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is below the County Durham local authority average of 62%, and it places the school 116th out of 170 primary schools in the county, putting it in the bottom half of the local rankings. Looking at individual subjects, 54% met the expected standard in reading and maths, while 62% did so in writing. Higher-attaining pupils are less common here: just 8% achieved a higher score in maths, 15% in reading, and 31% in writing. The average scaled scores were 100 in reading and 97 in maths, so reading is on the national average while maths lags slightly behind. There is no progress score data available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points, but the raw outcomes suggest that academically, this is not a high-performing school by local standards.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for its size, including a sports hall, playing fields, an outdoor playground, an ICT suite, a chapel, and a forest school area. There are clubs such as art, drama, gardening and science club, plus sports including netball, athletics, tennis and cross country. For families with children who need extra support, St Bede's has identified SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. The school does not have a nursery or a sixth form, so it serves the primary years only. Given its oversubscription, parents considering St Bede's should definitely put it as a first preference to maximise their chances. It will suit Catholic families in the Sacriston area who value a small, community-focused school with a consistent Good rating, even if its academic results are not the strongest in County Durham.

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