Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,505 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.2
Academy converter
Grace College
- Pupils on roll
- 1,125of 1,432 places
- Free school meals
- 41.9%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 210
- Ofsted
- Report card, 24 March 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Needs attentionAchievement Needs attentionAttendance and behaviour Needs attentionPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Needs attentionPost-16 provision Strong standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Joseph Swan Academy (URN 137898, until 1 April 2019).
What the data says
Of the 212 pupils who finished Year 11 at Grace College in 2023, 24% stayed on in Grace College’s own sixth form (Gateshead average 40%), 50% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 56 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 46% went to university (Gateshead 33%, England 37%), and 18% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
French is unusually popular at GCSE: 60% of the year group took it, against 18% of pupils across England.
10% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Gateshead and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Grace College | Gateshead | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 212 | 2,044 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 74% | 84% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 24% | 40% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 50% | 42% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 8% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 4% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Grace College | Gateshead | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 56 | 2,144 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 80% | 79% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 46% | 33% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 18% | 17% | 19% |
| Further education | 4% | 7% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 12% | 7% |
| Employment | 23% | 28% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 14% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Grace College | Gateshead | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 42.9 | 47.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 41% | 50% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 61% | 69% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 56% | 49% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.00 | 4.23 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 39% | 31% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 31.4 | 33.9 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 50.3 | 52.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 10% | 10% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 210 | 100% | 89% | 16% | 20% | 63% |
| Mathematics | 210 | 100% | 88% | 11% | 22% | 66% |
| English Literature | 189 | 90% | 86% | 17% | 21% | 76% |
| Combined Science | 158 | 75% | 65% | 2% | 9% | 58% |
| History | 126 | 60% | 41% | 25% | 26% | 65% |
| French | 125 | 60% | 18% | 33% | 29% | 98% |
| Geography | 65 | 31% | 41% | 25% | 25% | 77% |
| Computer Science | 39 | 19% | 13% | 13% | 30% | 56% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 36 | 17% | 8% | 6% | 21% | 64% |
| Fine Art | 33 | 16% | 9% | 9% | 28% | 67% |
| Religious Studies | 32 | 15% | 31% | 59% | 32% | 88% |
| Chemistry | 29 | 14% | 23% | 28% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 29 | 14% | 23% | 45% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 29 | 14% | 23% | 52% | 46% | 100% |
| Design and Technology | 17 | 8% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 53% |
| Turkish | 3 | 1% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 61 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 44 | 100% | — |
| Sports Studies | 37 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 15 | 58% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 13 | 50% | — |
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 11 | 42% | — |
| Tourism | 6 | 23% | — |
| Personal Health | 1 | 4% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Grace College | Gateshead | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 67 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 26 | 769 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 28.75 | 34.17 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 9% | 17% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Literature | 14 | 54% | 11% |
| Biology | 8 | 31% | 20% |
| Geography | 7 | 27% | 10% |
| History | 6 | 23% | 13% |
| English Language | — | — | 4% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Psychology | — | — | 23% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 54% | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 13 | 50% | — |
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 35% | — |
| Small Business Management | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 31% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Small Business Management | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Gateshead
Heworth Grange School
Academy sponsor led · 910 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.4
Kingsmeadow Community School
Community school · sixth form · 868 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.9
Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,334 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.6
St Thomas More Catholic School, Blaydon
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,401 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.9
Thorp Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,442 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.2
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.