St Bede's Catholic Primary School
Kingsway, Thompson Street East, Darlington, DL1 3ESOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Bede's Catholic Primary School is a primary school in Darlington for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 47 schools in Darlington. It ranks 18th of 29 primary schools in Darlington. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 3 December 2024, report published 23 January 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 3 December 2024
This school has a strong family ethos, supported by its values, which run through all aspects of school life. Relationships between staff and pupils at St Bede's are positive and nurturing. They are built on kindness and respect, which adults model exceptionally well. Pupils are happy. They know that the staff in school help to keep them safe. They talk of having trusted adults they can speak to if they have any worries or concerns. The school has made recent changes to the curriculum, as well as to wider aspects of the school. This has raised the schools' expectations for its pupils. The school is ambitious for all pupils. Outcomes for pupils are improving, including for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils say their voices are heard. They feel proud to have an impact on school life through the many leadership opportunities that staff provide. Pupils take up a wide range of roles, including 'house captains', 'eco-warriors' and 'playground leaders'. The school actively seeks the views of its pupils. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times. They demonstrate good manners and positive attitudes to their learning. Lessons are calm and purposeful. Pupils access learning with minimum disruption.
What the school should improve
- In some subjects, the checks that the school makes on pupils' understanding are not consistently used effectively to ensure that pupils learn and practise the right skills at the right time. Occasionally, this limits pupils' learning and some pupils do not access the learning that they need in a timely enough manner. The school should ensure that staff receive the support that they need to consistently adapt learning based on the assessments carried out.
- Some pupils with SEND do not secure the basic knowledge that they need to access the curriculum as well as they could. This is because, for some pupils with SEND, support plans lack specificity and curriculum activities are not matched well enough to meet their needs. The school should ensure that support plans for all pupils with SEND match closely to their needs and that these pupils have the time and opportunity to build on their knowledge before they are moved on to more complex tasks.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
42 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
322 pupils on roll, with places for 289
Schools near St Bede's Catholic Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrowgate Hill Primary School | 0.5 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | 48% met the expected standard |
| Springfield Academy | 0.6 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | 79% met the expected standard |
| Northwood Primary School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 56% met the expected standard |
| Whinfield Primary School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 68% met the expected standard |
| Gurney Pease Academy | 0.8 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | 73% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- BISHOP HOGARTH CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Laura Cuff
- Phone
- 01325466411
- Address
- Kingsway, Thompson Street East, Darlington, DL1 3ES
- Local authority
- Darlington
- URN
- 138523
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.