Best Schools in Spennymoor

How many schools are there in Spennymoor?

Spennymoor has 12 open schools: 8 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through, 2 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Spennymoor are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Spennymoor were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Kirk Merrington Primary School, Tudhoe Colliery Primary School and The Oaks Secondary School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 10 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.

Kirk Merrington Primary SchoolTudhoe Colliery Primary SchoolThe Oaks Secondary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Spennymoor get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Spennymoor with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Whitworth Park Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.3 and 54% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Norman Cornish Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 9.9 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Oaks Secondary School, with an Attainment 8 score of 5 and 1% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Whitworth Park AcademyNorman Cornish AcademyThe Oaks Secondary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Spennymoor have the best SATs results?

Of the 8 primary schools in Spennymoor with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Kirk Merrington Primary School (94% in reading, 89% in maths); Tudhoe Colliery Primary School (83% in reading, 86% in maths); and Rosa Street Primary and Nursery Academy (83% in reading, 83% 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.

Kirk Merrington Primary SchoolTudhoe Colliery Primary SchoolRosa Street Primary and Nursery Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Spennymoor?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Spennymoor have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Spennymoor 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 Spennymoor?

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.