Best Schools in Durham

How many schools are there in Durham?

Durham has 57 open schools: 44 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 3 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Durham are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Durham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Langley Moor Nursery School, Framwellgate Moor Primary School and Durham Johnston Comprehensive School. Counting Good as well, 88% of the 42 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.

Langley Moor Nursery SchoolFramwellgate Moor Primary SchoolDurham Johnston Comprehensive School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Durham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Durham with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.5 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.3 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Framwellgate School Durham, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.9 and 47% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Leonard's Catholic School, DurhamDurham Johnston Comprehensive SchoolFramwellgate School Durham

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Durham have the best SATs results?

Of the 42 primary schools in Durham with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gilesgate (100% in reading, 100% in maths); St Margaret's Church of England Primary School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); and Belmont Cheveley Park Primary School (94% in reading, 91% 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 Joseph's Catholic Primary School, GilesgateSt Margaret's Church of England Primary SchoolBelmont Cheveley Park Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Durham?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Durham have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Durham 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 Durham?

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.