Best Schools in Bishop Auckland

How many schools are there in Bishop Auckland?

Bishop Auckland has 39 open schools: 30 state primary, 4 state secondary or all-through, 2 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bishop Auckland are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Bishop Auckland was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Toft Hill Primary School. Counting Good as well, 86% of the 28 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.

Toft Hill Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bishop Auckland get the best GCSE results?

Of the 5 schools in Bishop Auckland with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Wolsingham School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.8 and 45% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and King James I Academy Bishop Auckland, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.1 and 30% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Wolsingham SchoolSt John's Catholic School & Sixth Form CollegeKing James I Academy Bishop Auckland

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bishop Auckland have the best SATs results?

Of the 22 primary schools in Bishop Auckland with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Cockfield Primary School (88% in reading, 88% in maths); Wolsingham Primary School (88% in reading, 88% in maths); and Evenwood Church of England Primary School (86% in reading, 86% 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.

Cockfield Primary SchoolWolsingham Primary SchoolEvenwood Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bishop Auckland?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Bishop Auckland have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Bishop Auckland 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 Bishop Auckland?

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.