Dene AcademySt Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Peterlee.
Summary of the comparison
Dene Academy and St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College are secondary schools in Peterlee.
Dene Academy scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average) and St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Dene Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Dene Academy was judged Good and St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 41.2 for Dene Academy and 42.1 for St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Dene Academy (45.7 in 2021-22, 41.2 in 2025-26) and has fallen at St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College (51.5 in 2021-22, 42.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | PeterleeDene Academy | PeterleeSt Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C58/100Stronger figure | D54/100 | |
| Local ranking | 16th of 30 in County Durham Stronger figure | 21st of 30 in County Durham | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 638 | 891 | |
| Capacity | 818 | 1,100 | |
| Location | Peterlee, SR8 5RL | Peterlee, SR8 1DE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 41.2 | 42.1 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 32.7% | 39.9% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 51.9% | 57.7% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 104 | 163 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 26 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 28.6 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 30.0 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 20.0% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 641 | 937 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 61.1% | 36.2% | |
| English as an additional language | 4.1% | 6.0% | |
| SEN support | 23.2% | 14.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.2% | 2.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 10.3% | 9.5% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 29.9% | 28.8% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Dene Academy
St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College
Full profiles: Dene Academy · St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College