East Durham College, Peterlee
East Durham College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 14 to 99 in Peterlee. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 5th-highest of the 5 schools in Peterlee with published results, and 3,288th of 3,298 across England.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
East Durham College in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at East Durham College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 13.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.6 in County Durham and 47 across England.
14% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in County Durham and 47% in England.
That is up from 12.1 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -2.98: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 15 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Statistics.
Where pupils go next
Of the 120 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 63% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.
Of the 842 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 14% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 5% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Horden, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Burnhope Way-East Durham College (nw-bound), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood East Durham College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 339 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Strong
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
About
East Durham College, formerly known as East Durham & Houghall Community College, is a community college with campuses in Peterlee and Houghall, south-east of Durham.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
D+
Average grade
21.8
Points per entry
D+
Best 3 A-Levels
0%
Achieving AAB+
Well below average
Value added
68
A-Level students
84%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 842 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
5%
Top-third university
32%
Degree course
43%
Any L4+ destination
1%
Apprenticeships
Based on 381 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
Keep up with East Durham College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Peterlee
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Peterlee
Across County Durham council
Places available
5,720
Applications
4,986
Got 1st preference
94.2%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Questions parents ask about East Durham College
What are GCSE results like at East Durham College?
In the 2026 results, pupils at East Durham College achieved an Attainment 8 score of 13.3. 14% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is East Durham College's Ofsted rating?
East Durham College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024.
What is the catchment area for East Durham College?
No fixed boundary. When East Durham College is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to East Durham College?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming East Durham College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near East Durham College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is East Durham College?
East Durham College is at Willerby Grove, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 2RN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)