St Mary's Catholic School is a mainstream secondary school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 187 of its 1,462 pupils (12.8%) were getting SEN support and 59 (4%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,462 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Newcastle upon Tyne.
12.8% get SEN support
187 of 1,462 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
4% have an EHC plan
59 of 1,462 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health74
- Speech, language and communication42
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia39
- Moderate learning difficulty33
- Autism25
- Hearing impairment7
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,462 (places for 1,395)
- Headteacher
- Emma Patterson
- Part of
- Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 24.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- School reference (URN)
- 140081
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Newcastle upon Tyne council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Rated Outstanding, September 2023
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in September 2023.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Benton Park Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE7 7PE
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Benton Park Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.6 miles
- Benton House School Independent · Ages 5–14 0.8 miles
- NHS Choices College Independent · Ages 16–24 1.2 miles
- Gosforth Junior High Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 9–13 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Balliol Primary School Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 18.5%, EHC plans 3.2% 0.6 miles
- South Gosforth First School Primary · Ages 3–9 · SEN support 6.5%, EHC plans 0.9% 0.6 miles
- Cragside Primary School Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 13.9%, EHC plans 2.2% 0.6 miles
All mainstream schools in Newcastle upon Tyne SEND schools in Newcastle upon Tyne
Questions about St Mary's Catholic School
How many pupils at St Mary's Catholic School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 187 of the 1,462 pupils (12.8%) were getting SEN support and 59 (4%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Mary's Catholic School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (74 pupils), speech, language and communication needs (42 pupils) and dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (39 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Mary's Catholic School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Mary's Catholic School?
Through Newcastle upon Tyne council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Mary's Catholic School?
You can ask for St Mary's Catholic School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Mary's Catholic School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Benton Park Primary School, about 0.6 miles away.
Where is St Mary's Catholic School?
Benton Park Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE7 7PE, in Newcastle upon Tyne.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.