Sign up free
Skip to main content

Schools across County Durham

Local authority · 280 schools across 34 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in County Durham →

Schools in County Durham (280)

Showing 20 of 280 schools

Total Schools

280

208 primary · 32 secondary

Total Pupils

73,624

87% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

73

7 outstanding · 66 good

Capacity

84,665

11,041 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

66
204
Outstanding: 7
Good: 66
Requires Improvement: 3
Not inspected: 204

Best Schools in County Durham

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

37.4

GCSE Eng+Maths

32.9%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

83% full
39,086 pupils46,831 capacity

7,745 spare places

Secondary Schools

87% full
28,204 pupils32,344 capacity

4,140 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.1%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

15.8%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

239

2024/25

Absence trend across County Durham schools

4.6%
18/19
4.2%
20/21
7.2%
21/22
6.8%
22/23
6.8%
23/24
6.1%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

74%

Plans Issued

715

Assessment Requests

1,157

Tribunal Cases

73

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

67%
2019
58%
2020
47%
2021
27%
2022
2%
2023
17%
2024
74%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

5,642 admissions

38

Lodged

(0.7%)

25

Heard

5

Successful

(20%)

Primary (infant classes)

4,929 admissions

22

Lodged

(0.4%)

13

Heard

4

Successful

(31%)

Secondary

6,757 admissions

106

Lodged

(1.6%)

66

Heard

15

Successful

(23%)

Total

12,399 admissions

144

Lodged

(1.2%)

91

Heard

20

Successful

(22%)

Total appeals lodged per year

508
2019
533
2020
633
2021
650
2022
956
2023
562
2024
569
2025
310
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in County Durham

Durham

55 schools

Bishop Auckland

38 schools

Consett

22 schools

Stanley

21 schools

Peterlee

20 schools

Newton Aycliffe

16 schools

Chester le Street

15 schools

Crook

12 schools

Spennymoor

12 schools

Seaham

10 schools

Ferryhill

10 schools

Barnard Castle

8 schools

Stockton-on-Tees

4 schools

Darlington

4 schools

Hartlepool

4 schools

Wingate

3 schools

Shildon

3 schools

Trimdon Station

3 schools

Houghton le Spring

3 schools

Bowburn

2 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in County Durham

How many schools are there in County Durham?

County Durham has 280 open schools: 208 state primary, 33 state secondary or all-through, 5 independent, 17 special and 17 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in County Durham are rated Outstanding?

20 schools in County Durham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Academy at Shotton Hall, Langley Moor Nursery School, Framwellgate Moor Primary School, Kirk Merrington Primary School, The Grange Learning Centre and 15 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 194 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.

The Academy at Shotton HallLangley Moor Nursery SchoolFramwellgate Moor Primary SchoolKirk Merrington Primary SchoolThe Grange Learning Centre

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in County Durham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 37 schools in County Durham with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Teesdale School and Sixth Form, with an Attainment 8 score of 57 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; 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; and Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.3 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Teesdale School and Sixth FormSt Leonard's Catholic School, DurhamDurham Johnston Comprehensive School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in County Durham have the best SATs results?

4 of the 184 primary schools in County Durham with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Ingleton CofE Primary School, Nettlesworth Primary School and Staindrop CofE (Controlled) Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Ingleton CofE Primary SchoolNettlesworth Primary SchoolStaindrop CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in County Durham?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in County Durham have catchment areas?

Most state schools in County 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 County 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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables