St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy
Ridge Terrace, Bedlington, NE22 6EDOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy is a secondary school in Bedlington for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 171 schools in Northumberland. It ranks 11th of 16 secondary schools in Northumberland. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 17 January 2023, report published 8 March 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 17 January 2023
There is a strong sense of community at St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy. Pupils get along well with each other and with the staff. The tutor teaches personal development lessons to their form. This helps to build positive relationships, as pupils and staff discuss challenging topics. Pupils know that they have someone that they can speak to if they have any concerns. Pupils feel safe at the school. Bullying sometimes happens. Staff, for the most part, deal with it effectively. Prejudice-based bullying is rare. There is a climate of respect and tolerance. Pupils took time to adjust to when leaders put in place a new behaviour system. The majority of pupils acknowledge the consistency with which staff apply the behaviour policy. As a result of this, poor behaviour rarely interrupts lessons. Staff and governors know this community very well. The improvement in the quality of education in the school reflects the ambition that governors have for the pupils.
What the school should improve
- Rates of attendance for some pupils are not high enough. This is affecting their learning and their chances of moving on to successful education and training beyond school. The school should evaluate the impact of the recent extra investment they have made in attendance strategies to ensure that this work has maximum impact and that pupils attend school more often than they have in the past.
- Younger pupils mainly take up the extra-curricular programme. Pupils in key stage 4 are less involved. The enrichment programme does not reach as many pupils as it could. The school should expand the range of opportunities to nurture and develop all pupils' talents and interests.
- In the personal development curriculum, pupils are taught about life in modern Britain. Leaders do not quality assure this curriculum as they do in other subjects. As a result, it is not clear how much pupils know and remember about this curriculum. The school should take steps to deepen the pupils' understanding of the British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
187 pupils in the year group
A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25
63 students
Average A level grade C+, England average B-
Pupil numbers and mix
994 pupils on roll, with places for 1,140
Schools near St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedlington Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 47.4 |
| The Blyth Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 49.2 |
| Ashington Academy | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 47.1 |
| Bede Academy | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 48.9 |
| NCEA Duke's Secondary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Attainment 8: 32.0 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- BISHOP BEWICK CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Suzanne Lewis-Dale
- Phone
- 01670822795
- Address
- Ridge Terrace, Bedlington, NE22 6ED
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- URN
- 141814
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.