Classpot

St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College

County Durham, SR8 1DESecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Jun 2023
Progress 8
-0.22
Below average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
118 1st-choice / 119 places
Ranking
#2,074
of 3,141 nationally

About St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College

St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College is a popular choice among local families, with 327 applications for 119 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.75. Of those, 116 offers went to first-preference applicants out of 118 who put the school top of their list, suggesting strong local confidence. The school is a mixed, Roman Catholic secondary for ages 11 to 18 in County Durham, led by headteacher Frances Cessford. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2023, confirmed the school remains Good, a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2017 when it was rated Requires Improvement. The school now holds Good ratings for overall effectiveness, sixth-form provision, and leadership and management, reflecting a clear upward trajectory in quality.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressWestway, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 1DE
HeadteacherFrances Cessford
Local AuthorityCounty Durham
Number of Pupils937
Free School Meals (FSM)36.0%
School Capacity937 / 1,100 (85% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

14 Jun 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (14 Jun 2023): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 6 Mar 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

13
Swimming PoolSixth Form CentreLibraryTheatreSports HallScience LabsAstro TurfArt StudiosGymnasiumMusic RoomsDining HallPlaying FieldsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

19

Sports

RugbyCross CountryGymnasticsHockeyDanceTennisBadmintonCricket

Clubs & Activities

ChessBook ClubGardeningYoung EnterpriseOrchestraNewspaperModel United NationsChoirFilm ClubDramaDebate

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College

St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.