King James I Academy Bishop Auckland
South Church Road, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7JZ
936 pupils · 98% of 956 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11–18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- EDEN LEARNING TRUST
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 50.6%
Ofsted
Expected standard (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Strong standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
| Post-16 | Expected standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 17 March 2026, published 11 May 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 43.9 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 28.7% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 59.4% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 22.4% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Roughly one first choice per place — 0.97 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 156 | 152 | 423 | 156 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 176 | 203 | 492 | 176 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 157 | 155 | 368 | 156 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 171 | 183 | 399 | 171 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 170 | 192 | 464 | 170 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 165 | 166 | 459 | 165 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 168 | 198 | 468 | 168 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 185 | 201 | 507 | 185 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Bishop Barrington Academy 1.6 km · Good (2024) · previous system
- St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College 1.8 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Whitworth Park Academy 5.3 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Parkside Academy 5.3 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Greenfield Academy 6.4 km · Requires improvement (2019) · previous system
- Ferryhill School 6.6 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.