Best Schools in Chester le Street

How many schools are there in Chester le Street?

Chester le Street has 21 open schools: 18 state primary and 3 state secondary or all-through.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Chester le Street?

None of the 17 graded schools in Chester le Street currently holds an Outstanding rating. 16 are rated Good, so 94% are 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.

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Chester le Street get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Chester le Street with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Hermitage Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.1 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Park View School, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.8 and 42% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 45.2 and 39% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Hermitage AcademyPark View SchoolLord Lawson of Beamish Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Chester le Street have the best SATs results?

Of the 16 primary schools in Chester le Street with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Nettlesworth Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Bullion Lane Primary School (94% in reading, 94% in maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley (94% in reading, 94% 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.

Nettlesworth Primary SchoolBullion Lane Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Chester le Street?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Chester le Street selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Chester le Street have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Chester le Street have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council 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 Chester le Street?

Apply to your council - County Durham or Gateshead, depending on your address - 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.