Best Schools in Barnard Castle

How many schools are there in Barnard Castle?

Barnard Castle has 8 open schools: 6 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through and 1 independent.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Barnard Castle are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Barnard Castle were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Montalbo Nursery & Primary School and Teesdale School and Sixth Form. Counting Good as well, 75% of the 4 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Montalbo Nursery & Primary SchoolTeesdale School and Sixth Form

Source: Ofsted

Which primary schools in Barnard Castle have the best SATs results?

Of the 5 primary schools in Barnard Castle with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle (94% in reading, 94% in maths); Montalbo Nursery & Primary School (89% in reading, 89% in maths); and Green Lane Church of England Primary School (82% in reading, 66% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard CastleMontalbo Nursery & Primary SchoolGreen Lane Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Barnard Castle?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Barnard Castle selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Barnard Castle have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Barnard Castle have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Barnard Castle?

Apply to County Durham through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.