Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 11 March 2026
Compared with the local authority and England
Attainment 8 scores a pupil's best 8 GCSE results, out of about 90. Progress 8 compares those results with pupils who started secondary school at the same level: 0 is average.
| Measure | School | Sunderland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 44.1 | 43.3 | 46.1 |
Grade 4 is a standard pass; grade 5 is a strong pass.
| Measure | School | Sunderland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 39% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 61% | 61% | 65% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 57% | 56% | 60% |
The EBacc is English, maths, science, a language, and history or geography. It is a set of subjects rather than a qualification.
| Measure | School | Sunderland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entering the EBacc | 44% | 41% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
Based on 178 pupils at the end of key stage 4.
School workforce census, 2025/26.
Ofsted’s survey of parents at this school
Ofsted changed the Parent View questions in November 2025, so some questions differ between years.
30%
of parents would recommend this school to another parent
26%
of parents have a positive overall view of the school
108 responses up to 6 April 2026 · 13% response rate
My child is happy at this school.
44% agreeMy child feels safe at this school.
55% agreeThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
28% agreeMy child has been bullied, and the school dealt with it quickly and effectively.
18% agreeMy child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.
19% agreeVenerable Bede Church of England Academy's last overall grade from Ofsted was Good, on 24 May 2016. Ofsted inspected it again on 11 March 2026 without giving an overall grade, as single-word grades ended in September 2024.
Apply through the council where you live by 31 October in your child's Year 6, for a place starting the following September. You apply to your home council even if Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 1 March, or the next working day. As a Church of England school it may also ask for a supplementary form, and its admissions policy says whether it does.
No. Distance only counts when Venerable Bede Church of England Academy has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its academy trust, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. As a Church of England school, it can give priority to children on grounds of faith. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy had 843 pupils aged 11 to 16 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 900. It is a mixed school with no sixth form, so students move on at 16.