Venerable Bede Church of England Academy
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–16 · Sunderland
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
5.24 miles
Published by Sunderland City Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2025 figure 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy is a secondary school in Sunderland for ages 11–16 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 21 January 2025. Sunderland has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2025 to 2026 entry.
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 5.24 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Of pupils here, 34.3% are eligible for free school meals; the middle figure across the 8 nearest secondary schools in Sunderland is 46.9%.
- The last child offered a Year 7 place in 2026 lived 5.24 miles away, the 2nd longest of 16 Sunderland secondary schools with a published Year 7 2026 last distance.
- Year 7 entry in 2026 drew 57 first-choice applications for 64 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 7 offers went to families ranking it second or lower.
- In 2024/25, 39% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), 2nd lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Sunderland.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Sunderland schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Tunstall Bank, Sunderland, SR2 0SX
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Sunderland
- Pupils on roll
- 738 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 34.3% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 16.5
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 21 January 2025
Strengths
- “This school has undergone considerable positive change of late.”
- “Serious concerns about pupils’ behaviour, attitudes to learning and attendance are being successfully addressed.”
- “Some pupils now attend school more regularly and have an increasingly positive approach to their studies.”
To improve
- “However, much work is still required to ensure that pupils receive an acceptable quality of education.”
- “Significant staff absence in the past has impacted negatively on the school’s journey of improvement.”
- “However, some of these important messages are not well understood by pupils.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 11 March 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 39% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 44.1 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 57 first-preference applications, 64 offers in total, 57 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Sunderland.
- Southmoor Academy 1.2 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- St Aidan's Catholic Academy 1.3 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Farringdon Community Academy 1.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Thornhill Academy 1.6 mi Good Last distance published
- St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy 1.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Sandhill View Academy 1.9 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Castle View Enterprise Academy 3.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Red House Academy 4.0 mi Standards maintained Last distance published