SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

Grace College

Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 18 · Mixed · Sixth form

Part of EMMANUEL SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

Saltwell Road South, Gateshead, NE9 6LE

0191 442 2000 · School website · Map and directions

Ofsted report card1 strong, 2 expected, 4 needs attentionSafeguarding met · 24 March 2026
Grade 5 or above in English and maths41%England 45% · 2024/25
Pupils1,125Room for 1,432
First-choice applications per place0.7134 for 202 places, September 2026

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 24 March 2026 , published 7 June 2026.

In short: 1 strong, 2 expected, 4 needs attention, and safeguarding met.

Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.

AreaGrade
SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. Met
InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this.
AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this.
Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this.
Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Post-16 provisionSixth form or other study after 16. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

124 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.

Gateshead comparisons use the 3 of its 9 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 6 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.

StatementThis schoolGatesheadEngland
My child is happy at this school
69% 77% 83%
My child feels safe at this school
76% 82% 85%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved
67% 77% 78%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 29 parents whose child had been bullied
31% 45% 43%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 114 parents who had raised a concern
62% 69% 74%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 39 parents of children with SEND
49% 59% 63%
I would recommend this school to another parent
69%said yes 79% 83%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 11%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Gateshead figures pool parents at the Gateshead schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

210 pupils in this year group.

41% — 9 points below the Gateshead average, and 4 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolGatesheadEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 41% 50% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. 42.9 47 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. 4 4.2 4.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% England 2022/23: 45%England 2023/24: 46%England 2024/25: 45% This school 2022/23: 24%This school 2023/24: 32%This school 2024/25: 41% This school England 45% 2022/23 24% 2023/24 32% 2024/25 41%

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

212 pupils in this year group.

86% — 5 points below the Gateshead average, and 6 points below the England average.

Where pupils went after Year 11
This school 24%50%10%
England 34%13%37%
MeasureThis schoolGatesheadEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 86% 91% 92%
School sixth form 24% 40% 34%
Sixth form college 0% – 13%
Further education college 50% 42% 37%
Apprenticeship 4% 4% 3%
Work 8% 3% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
83%86%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

A levels (16 to 18), 2024/25

26 A level students in this year group.

MeasureThis schoolGatesheadEngland
Average A level grade C C+ B-
A level exams graded A* or A 13% 23% 26%
A level exams graded A* to B 30% 48% 53%
Average points per A level entryAn A* is 60 points, an A is 50, a B is 40, and so on down to 10 for an E. 28.8 34.2 35
Average points per A level entry, over time
20 25 30 35 40 England 2022/23: 34.2England 2023/24: 34.4England 2024/25: 35 This school 2022/23: 29.1This school 2023/24: 26.7This school 2024/25: 28.8 This school England 35 2022/23 29.1 2023/24 26.7 2024/25 28.8

A level subjects, 2024/25

12 subjects, 56 exams. England figures are for state-funded schools and colleges.

SubjectExamsA*A* or AEngland A* or A
English Literature 14 0% 0% 23%
Biology 9 11% 11% 27%
Geography 7 0% 14% 23%
History 6 0% 0% 23%

Also taken, with too few exams for DfE to publish grades: Chemistry, Mathematics, Art and Design (Fine Art), French, Psychology, English Language, Italian, Physics.

Source: DfE 16 to 18 qualification and subject data, 2024/25.

Source: DfE 16 to 18 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After sixth form

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

56 students in this year group.

80% — about the same as the Gateshead average, and about the same as the England average.

MeasureThis schoolGatesheadEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workStudents recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing 16 to 18 study. 80% 79% 79%
Apprenticeship 7% 12% 7%
Work 23% 28% 28%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
82%80%

Source: DfE 16 to 18 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Going on to university

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

50 students in this year group.

58% — 6 points above the Gateshead average, and 2 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolGatesheadEngland
Went on to a degree or other higher education 58% 52% 60%
Went to one of the most selective third of universitiesDfE's grouping of universities by the typical entry grades of their students. 18% 17% 19%

Went on to a degree or other higher education, over time

2023/242024/25
56%58%

Source: DfE 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Gateshead. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

How hard is it to get in?

For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.

Places offered202
Families who put it first134
Of those, offered a place133 (99%)
Families who listed it at all455

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.8 · 2025: 0.8 · 2026: 0.7

This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.

Admissions dates and schools in Gateshead

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolGatesheadEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
 41.5% 31.6%* 28.9%
With an education, health and care plan
 2.1% 2.4%* 3.1%
Receiving special educational needs support
 17.5% 13.2%* 13.4%
English as an additional language
 12.3% 10.4%* 19.2%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
 16.8% 9.3%* 8.4%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
 41.9% 24.1%* 23.4%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
 58.7 27.7 21.2
Pupils suspended at least once
 17.2% 8.4% 7.3%
Pupils permanently excluded9 pupils 0.79% 0.51% 0.23%
Pupils per teacher
 17.2 17.3 16.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
 12.5 12.6 11.8
Teachers who left during the year
 25.4% 14.7%* 14.2%*

Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

Nearby secondary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Grace College's Ofsted rating?

Grace College was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 24 March 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 1 strong, 2 expected, 4 needs attention, and safeguarding was met.

How did Grace College do in its GCSEs?

In 2024/25, 41% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 4 points below the England average of 45%.

Would parents recommend Grace College?

69% of the 124 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend Grace College to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Is Grace College oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 134 families put Grace College as their first choice for 202 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 133 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.