Classpot

St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester

County Durham, DH7 0RDSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
May 2026
Progress 8
+0.22
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
230 1st-choice / 230 places
Ranking
#1,025
of 3,141 nationally

About St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester

St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College in Lanchester presents a mixed picture academically, with its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rating the school as Requires Improvement overall, a significant change from its previous Outstanding grade in 2009. The drop is largely driven by a Requires Improvement rating for behaviour and attitudes, though the quality of education, sixth-form provision, personal development, and leadership and management were all judged Good. On the exam front, the school's Progress 8 score of 0.22 is the most telling metric, placing it above the national average and well ahead of the County Durham local authority average of -0.21. This score ranks St Bede's 8th out of 31 secondary schools in the county, putting it in the top 26% locally and the top 33% nationally. It suggests that, despite the overall Ofsted rating, pupils here typically make stronger academic progress than their peers across the region.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressConsett Road, Durham, County Durham, DH7 0RD
HeadteacherCatherine Hammill
Local AuthorityCounty Durham
Number of Pupils1,258
Free School Meals (FSM)19.5%
School Capacity1,258 / 1,450 (87% 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

21 Mar 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 22 Jun 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

12
Swimming PoolICT SuiteArt StudiosGymnasiumLibraryPlaying FieldsDining HallSports HallMusic RoomsTennis CourtsChapelSixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

18

Sports

RowingCricketBasketballRugbyFootballGymnasticsSwimming

Clubs & Activities

Young EnterpriseCodingOrchestraScience ClubChessChoirModel United NationsNewspaperDramaFilm ClubDebate

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

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Source: stbedes.durham.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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

St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.