Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust

UID 16761·Companies House 07841435·Incorporated November 2011·Compare

Schools

Flags

127

38 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Mar 2026Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2026/27Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£103.4m

14,262 pupils

Avg staff costs

76.3%

of income

Avg reserves

10.6%

of income

Avg absence

More metrics

Avg FSM

31.6%

free school meals

Capacity

94%

14,262 / 15,190 places

Total admin cost

£5.7m

£400 per pupil

Trust overview

15 of 39 schools report staff costs above the DfE's 78% review point. Staffing ratios reflect phase mix, curriculum and local context as much as efficiency.

4 of 39 schools report negative revenue reserves at year-end. A year-end snapshot can reflect planned spend-down, in-trust transfers or timing; the trust's audited accounts give the fuller picture.

Trust-average reserves have fallen about 6 percentage points over two years of published returns.

15 of 39 schools spent more than their income in the latest year. Single-year deficits are common around growth, building works or falling rolls; multi-year patterns matter more than one snapshot.

Absence is at or below the national average in 32 of 39 schools.

38 of 39 inspected schools meet the expected standard or above.

2 of these inspections used the new Report Card framework; its scale is not directly comparable with legacy grades.

Generated from published DfE and Ofsted data — year-end snapshots that cannot show in-year plans, restructuring or local context. Reference points are DfE review thresholds, not judgements.

Ofsted & results

Ofsted

97%meeting standard or above

Across 39 graded schools, including 2 under the new Report Card framework. The two frameworks are not directly comparable.

Sub-judgements — earlier framework

Quality of education

95% Good+

Outst. 3Good 17RI 1

Behaviour & attitudes

90% Good+

Outst. 7Good 12RI 2

Personal development

95% Good+

Outst. 6Good 14RI 1

Leadership & management

95% Good+

Outst. 7Good 30RI 2

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

50.2

+4.0

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

66.2%

+5.2pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressSacred Heart Catholic High School, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 9YH

Companies House07841435

Incorporated9 November 2011

Report Card inspections (new framework)

About these grades

Grade distribution across 2 schoolsinspected under Ofsted's 5-point scale (from November 2025). Not directly comparable with the earlier 1–4 sub-judgements above.

Curriculum & teaching

Expected standard 1Strong standard 1

Achievement

Expected standard 2

Inclusion

Expected standard 1Strong standard 1

Attendance & behaviour

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	39	14,683	£83.1m	£78.2m	70.1%	17.2%
2022/23	39	14,633	£91.1m	£89.5m	74.7%	16.8%
2023/24	39	14,532	£101.7m	£102.7m	74.8%	12.8%
2024/25partial	39	14,262	£103.4m	£103.8m	76.3%	10.6%
2025/26	39	14,246	—	—	—	—

Central services

2024/25

Centralisation

4.0%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£4,384,000

CS staff costs

£2,677,000

CS income

£1,019,000

Admin & clerical£860,000

Teaching staff£1,275,000

ICT£0

Premises£102,000

Legal & professional£462,000

Auditor costs£134,000

Governance

Source: Companies House

Board of trustees

Accounts to Aug 2025

8 current directors · Average tenure: 5.4 years · 1 change in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (8)

Peter James Father Stott

director·< 1 year

Andrew Michael Johnson

director·3 years

Paula Dr Chadwick

director·3 years

Alison Jane Miller

director·3 years

Janice Victoria Dr Gorlach

director·5 years

Kathleen Professor Mccourt

director·8 years

Gill Hardy

director·8 years

David John Harrison

director·8 years

31 former officers — most recent departure: Nov 2024

William Father Agley

director·5 years·Resigned Aug 2022

Matthew Robert Mcgrady

director·5 years·Resigned Nov 2024

Juliet Patricia Scullion

director·8 years·Resigned Feb 2023

Allan Christopher Dr Jones

director·8 years·Resigned May 2018

Imelda Sweeney

director·10 years·Resigned Aug 2017

Carol Ridley

Member schools (39)

39 schools|36 with risk flags|33 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Fenham	148445	Primary	in year deficitperformance declineworkforce pressure
Our Lady and St Anne's Catholic Primary School	148273	Primary	performance declineworkforce pressure
Sacred Heart Catholic High School	137708	Secondary	high absencein year deficit
Sacred Heart Primary School	145624	Primary	performance decline
Ss Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary Academy	141832	Primary	high staff costsin year deficit
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington	148504	Primary	workforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wallsend	148814	Primary	workforce pressurehigh absencein year deficit
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, Walker	148447	Primary	workforce pressurein year deficit
St Bede's Catholic Primary School	148283	Primary	ofsted concernworkforce pressurein year deficithigh staff costs
St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Newcastle	148446	Primary	high staff costsin year deficitperformance declineworkforce pressure
St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy	141814	Secondary	high absencehigh staff costsin year deficit
St Bernadette's Catholic Primary, Wallsend	148815	Primary	high staff costs
St Catherine's Catholic Primary School	148271	Primary	performance declineworkforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
St Charles' Catholic Primary School	148269	Primary	workforce pressure
St Columba's Catholic Primary School, Wallsend	148816	Primary	performance declinehigh staff costsworkforce pressure
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School	148270	Primary	workforce pressure
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields	148448	Primary	in year deficitworkforce pressure
St Cuthbert's High School	137900	Secondary	high absencehigh staff costsin year deficit
St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Berwick	148998	Primary	high staff costsworkforce pressure
St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Kenton	148978	Primary	workforce pressure