About the school
Benedict Biscop C.E. Academy is a Church of England school within the Diocese of Durham and serves the Wearmouth (Sunderland) Deanery. The Academy was built in 1972 and opened as a Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School. It is an above average sized primary school with over 330 pupils on roll currently. We provide education for children from 3 to 11 years. The Academy’s standard admission number was changed for September 2021 to 45, following an extension of the school provision. Over the 6 years following the extension, our pupil numbers have increased by 15 pupils every year, to create a one and a half form entry school.
The school became an Academy in 2012, and a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) – The Northern Lights Learning Trust in 2016. In 2021, we were awarded the lead school status in the Sunderland, South Tyneside and Gateshead Teaching School Hub [Northern Lights South Tyne and Wear Teaching School Hub]. We were also successfully recognised as one of the DFE Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs (Autumn 2022), highlighting our successful practice in Early Years provision.
Benedict Biscop CE Academy achieved an OUTSTANDING judgement in all areas in its recent Ofsted inspection [October 2024] and also an successful judgement for their last SIAMS inspection in April 2025. We hold several awards, recognising our excellence, including the Platinum Primary Science Quality Mark, Anti-bullying Platinum Charter Mark, Platinum Games Award, Design and Technology Mark, Rights Respecting Gold Award, both the Early Years Basic Skills Award and whole school Basic Skills Award, Gold Arts Mark and many more.
The Academy is designed in three blocks of teaching areas [Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2] separated by a central hall. As the increased PAN moves through the school, mixed age classes will be incorporated into the school structure.
The areas of the Academy are very closely linked and staff know all the children through daily contact. In mixed year groups, pupils are grouped by age to ensure a fair and consistent approach [as agreed in the Academy’s extension consultation process].
Each class has its own teacher who is responsible for general progress across the curriculum and for pastoral care.
The Academy has partnerships with a school in Harbin, China and through European Comenius Awards we have developed links with schools in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria. This is developing global links and an understanding of our diverse culture.
