Benfield School
Academy converter · 819 pupils
74% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.5
Academy sponsor led
Excelsior Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,339of 1,710 places
- Free school meals
- 74.5%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 205
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement, 8 May 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: West Gate Community College (URN 108533).
What the data says
Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 at Excelsior Academy in 2023, 39% stayed on in Excelsior Academy’s own sixth form (Newcastle upon Tyne average 39%) and 35% went to a further education college.
Among the 93 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 26% went to university (Newcastle upon Tyne 29%, England 37%), and 1% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
13% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
A level grades average D-, well below the England average of B-; 0% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%).
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 Newcastle upon Tyne and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Excelsior Academy | Newcastle upon Tyne | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 204 | 2,784 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 77% | 86% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 75% | 81% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 39% | 39% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 0% | 13% |
| — further education college | 35% | 39% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | — | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 13% | 9% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 10% | 5% | 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 | Excelsior Academy | Newcastle upon Tyne | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 93 | 6,923 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 54% | 74% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 26% | 29% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 1% | 11% | 19% |
| Further education | 1% | 8% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 23% | 29% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 39% | 20% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Excelsior Academy | Newcastle upon Tyne | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 33.4 | 43.9 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 24% | 46% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 40% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 36% | 41% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 2.85 | 3.93 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 75% | 47% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 30.4 | 33.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 42.7 | 53.2 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 54% | 23% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 203 | 99% | 88% | 7% | 22% | 48% |
| English Language | 203 | 99% | 89% | 6% | 20% | 42% |
| English Literature | 193 | 94% | 86% | 5% | 21% | 45% |
| Combined Science | 173 | 84% | 65% | 8% | 9% | 51% |
| Geography | 90 | 44% | 41% | 4% | 25% | 23% |
| Spanish | 64 | 31% | 19% | 13% | 27% | 78% |
| History | 62 | 30% | 41% | 3% | 26% | 37% |
| Art and Design | 39 | 19% | 7% | 13% | 24% | 56% |
| Business Studies | 30 | 15% | 18% | 3% | 20% | 10% |
| Photography | 28 | 14% | 6% | 7% | 19% | 93% |
| Computer Science | 16 | 8% | 13% | 19% | 30% | 56% |
| Music | 12 | 6% | 5% | 25% | 33% | 67% |
| 3D Design | 11 | 5% | 2% | 0% | 16% | 18% |
| Urdu | 10 | 5% | 1% | 10% | 42% | 10% |
| Italian | 5 | 2% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Arabic | 5 | 2% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Portuguese | 4 | 2% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Polish | 3 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| German | 2 | 1% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Physics | 1 | 0% | 23% | — | 46% | — |
| French | 1 | 0% | 18% | — | 29% | — |
| Chemistry | 1 | 0% | 23% | — | 47% | — |
| Biology | 1 | 0% | 23% | — | 45% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Health | 166 | 100% | — |
| Small Business Management | 39 | 100% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 32 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 30 | 100% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 24 | 80% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 19 | 63% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Excelsior Academy | Newcastle upon Tyne | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 128 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 30 | 1,502 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | D- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 15.73 | 33.48 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | E+ | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 0% | 12% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 15 | 50% | 23% |
| Arabic | — | — | 0% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Sociology | — | — | 13% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Turkish | — | — | 0% |
| Urdu | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 17 | 57% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 37% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 10 | 33% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 10 | 33% | — |
| Multimedia | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Art and Design | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Art and Design | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 2 | — | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Newcastle upon Tyne
Gosforth Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,925 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.4
Jesmond Park Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 2,092 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.4
Kenton School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,589 pupils
74% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.7
North East Futures UTC
University technical college · sixth form · 314 pupils
76% stayed in education · Attainment 8 35.4
Sacred Heart Catholic High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,424 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 52.1
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.