St Bede's Catholic Primary School

About St Bede's Catholic Primary School

St Bede's Catholic Primary School is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary in Redcar and Cleveland, and it is noticeably undersubscribed in terms of capacity versus its current roll. With space for 227 pupils, the school currently teaches 176, leaving around a fifth of its places empty. However, the picture for Reception admissions tells a different story. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 17 applications for just 9 places, making it officially oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.89 applicants per spot. All 9 first-preference families were offered a place, but the numbers suggest that for every child who got in, another missed out. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 10.7%, which is below the national average for primary schools and indicates a relatively affluent intake for the area. The school serves children from age 3, with nursery provision on site, and is led by headteacher Lucy Smith.

Academically, St Bede's performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to a Redcar and Cleveland average of just 65%. This places the school 8th out of 41 primaries in the local authority, comfortably in the top 10. Results are particularly strong in reading, where 90% met the expected standard and 38% achieved a higher score. Maths also performed well, with an average scaled score of 106 and 86% reaching the expected level. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, awarded a Good rating across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This represents a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. The early years provision was also judged Good.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a dining hall, gymnasium, ICT suite, music rooms, a chapel, and a Forest School area. Sports provision covers football, cricket, netball, dance, cross country and gymnastics, while clubs include chess, science club and choir. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for a wide range of conditions, including dyslexia, speech and language difficulties, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given its strong academic results relative to the local area, combined with its Catholic character and oversubscribed Reception, St Bede's is likely to appeal most to local Catholic families who prioritise academic attainment and a structured, supportive environment. However, the overall spare capacity in older year groups may offer flexibility for mid-phase admissions.

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