St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College
Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6JTOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College is a secondary school in Bishop Auckland for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 271 schools in County Durham. It ranks 14th of 30 secondary schools in County Durham. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2019.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 29 January 2019, report published 4 March 2019
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 8 May 2024
St John's Catholic School and Sixth Form College's clear vision is underpinned by its distinct Catholic ethos. The school is committed to serving its pupils, to provide them with a high-quality and well-rounded education. This vision is lived out. Many pupils and parents told inspectors how grateful they are for the staff, who go 'above and beyond' to help them. This is a school where pupils are safe and cared for well. The school has high aspirations for pupils. It provides them with a wide range of exciting and worthwhile educational experiences. These enrich learning and support pupils' personal development. For example, pupils attend clubs in a range of sports, sign language, debating, mindfulness, and diversity and equality. Pupils have benefited from the school's successful bid to the Turing Scheme. This has provided pupils with unique opportunities for cultural visits this year to Canada, America and Europe. The school has high expectations for behaviour. Most pupils meet these expectations. The school is calm and orderly. Bullying sometimes happens. Incidents are dealt with effectively by the school. Pupils tend to work hard in lessons and enjoy positive relationships with their teachers. Most pupils achieve well.
What the school should improve
- Some pupils do not attend school often enough. These pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge. For older pupils, this is hindering their ability to do well in public examinations. The school should further develop its strategies to improve attendance for those pupils who are persistently absent from school.
- The school's ASPIRE model for teaching is implemented inconsistently in some lessons. This means, on occasion, teachers do not check pupils' understanding and/or adapt the curriculum to help pupils secure their understanding. As a result, some pupils do not make the progress that they could. The school should embed its ASPIRE model fully.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
206 pupils in the year group
A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25
64 students
Average A level grade B-, England average B-
Pupil numbers and mix
1,229 pupils on roll, with places for 1,400
Schools near St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Barrington Academy | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 39.4 |
| King James I Academy Bishop Auckland | 1 mile | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Attainment 8: 43.9 |
| Parkside Academy | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 46.9 |
| Greenfield Academy | 4 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Attainment 8: 35.7 |
| Whitworth Park Academy | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 50.4 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- BISHOP HOGARTH CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Lisa Byron
- Phone
- 01388603246
- Address
- Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6JT
- Local authority
- County Durham
- URN
- 137702
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.