Best Schools in Northumberland

How many schools are there in Northumberland?

Northumberland has 154 open schools: 113 state primary, 24 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 13 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Northumberland are rated Outstanding?

13 schools in Northumberland were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Horton Grange Primary School, Malvin's Close Academy, Croftway Academy, Morpeth Road Academy, Corbridge Middle School and 8 more. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 127 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.

Horton Grange Primary SchoolMalvin's Close AcademyCroftway AcademyMorpeth Road AcademyCorbridge Middle School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Northumberland get the best GCSE results?

Of the 18 schools in Northumberland with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Ponteland High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.4 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The King Edward VI School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.1 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Queen Elizabeth High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.4 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Ponteland High SchoolThe King Edward VI SchoolQueen Elizabeth High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Northumberland have the best SATs results?

Of the 52 primary schools in Northumberland with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, Prudhoe (100% in reading, 94% in maths); St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Ashington (87% in reading, 97% in maths); and Swarland Primary School (83% in reading, 100% 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 Matthew's Catholic Primary School, PrudhoeSt Aidan's Catholic Primary School, AshingtonSwarland Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Northumberland?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Northumberland have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Northumberland 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 Northumberland?

Apply to your council - Northumberland or North Tyneside, 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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.