Park View School, Chester le Street

In its own words: "Park View is an international school at the heart of a local community where all are expected to aspire to academic excellence whilst behaving with empathy and respect to others. In order to achieve this, we will inspire our students to be creators, dreamers, innovators and pioneers who:"

From the headteacher's welcome: "I would like to offer you a very warm welcome to Park View School on behalf of the students, staff and governing body. We are a forward thinking, exciting and, most important of all, happy school where children of all abilities, aptitudes and social backgrounds achieve."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, dance, coding and robotics.

In 2026, pupils at Park View School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.6 in County Durham and 47 across England.

42% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in County Durham and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 46.4.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.14: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 33.2, against 49.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 250 families put Park View School as their first choice and 498 named it as one of their preferences, for 235 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 22 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Park View School are Hermitage Academy (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.1); Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2); St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington (3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8); and Oxclose Community Academy (3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.7).

Park View School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Park View School is run by its own single-school academy trust.

136 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Park View School (as of September 2025): 77% would recommend the school, 80% say their child is happy there and 48% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (48%).

Of the 229 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 41% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 198 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 46% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 22% into work. 12% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 44 pupils (2.7%) received SEN support and 48 (2.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Station Road, about 500 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park View School - Deanery Site (w-bound), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 239 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Park View School issued 254 suspensions, 15.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Park View School are Cestria Primary School (under 0.1 miles); St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Chester-Le-Street (0.2 miles); Red Rose Primary School (0.5 miles); and Newker Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.