Tanfield School, Stanley
Tanfield School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Stanley, part of Eden Learning Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 5th-highest of the 32 schools in County Durham with published results, and 537th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 88% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Tanfield School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Tanfield School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.6 in County Durham and 47 across England.
63% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in County Durham and 47% in England.
That is down from 57.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.83: pupils made well above 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 47.1, against 57.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and French.
Getting a place at Tanfield School
For September 2026 entry, 201 families put Tanfield School as their first choice and 406 named it as one of their preferences, for 149 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 56 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Tanfield School are North Durham Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.9); St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester (3.7 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 45.8); Whickham School (4.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.2); and Emmanuel College (5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 59.8).
Tanfield School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
North Durham AcademySt Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, LanchesterWhickham SchoolEmmanuel College
The trust
Tanfield School is one of 10 schools run by Eden Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.3 in 2024/25.
What parents say
69 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Tanfield School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 139 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 66% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Tanfield School.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tanfield Comprehensive School (n-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 151 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Tanfield School issued 17 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Tanfield School are Tanfield Lea Community Primary School (0.5 miles); St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Stanley (0.6 miles); Shield Row Primary School (0.8 miles); and East Stanley School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Tanfield Lea Community Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary, StanleyShield Row Primary SchoolEast Stanley School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Tanfield School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in May 2020. Before that, as Tanfield School, Specialist College of Science and Engineering (URN 114293), it was rated Inadequate in February 2019.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
There is a strong sense of community at Tanfield School. Pupils and staff talk proudly of being part of 'Team Tanfield'. The school's values of hard work, trust and fairness are understood by pupils and lived out every day. There are extremely high expectations of pupils. Staff share an unwavering determination to ensure that every pupil achieves their full potential. Pupils experience great success. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve very well in public examinations.
Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are taught to 'play by the rules' and they do. They are polite, courteous and welcoming to visitors. Pupils conduct themselves with impressive levels of maturity and self-control in lessons and around school. As a result, lessons are highly productive and free from distractions. Pupils are very happy at the school. They are confident that the school will respond quickly if they have any concerns.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow an ambitious curriculum. The school has carefully sequenced the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn over time. For example, in English, pupils learn about increasingly complex ideas relating to power, gender and genre. They use these ideas to produce high-quality written work.
Teachers have secure subject knowledge. The school has worked effectively with the trust when there has been a need for further subject specialists. Lessons consistently begin with retrieval tasks to help pupils remember what they have been taught before. Teachers use highly effective resources in lessons to support pupils' learning. Pupils with SEND are supported well. Teachers are provided with detailed information about pupils' needs. They use this information to ensure pupils with SEND achieve well.
From Ofsted's September 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
About
Tanfield School is a coeducational secondary school in Stanley, County Durham, England, by the border to Tanfield Lea. The school is part of the Eden Learning Trust and is a specialist science and engineering college.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
32.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
69 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.66 to 0.83 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 54.7 to 54.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 63% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 54.4 | 62.6% |
| Disadvantaged(42) | - | 47.1 | 45.2% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(89) | - | 57.9 | 70.8% |
| Boys(80) | - | 56.2 | 63.8% |
| Girls(51) | - | 51.6 | 60.8% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(131) | - | 54.4 | 62.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 139 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.28%
Exclusion rate
17
Suspensions
2.42%
Suspension rate
6 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 702 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Tanfield School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Tanfield School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Tanfield School is in County Durham; for families living there:
- County Durham's school travel policy: School transport policies and strategies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school travel
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
4 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
Your chances of a place at Tanfield School
Will you get a place at Tanfield School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Tanfield School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Tanfield School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Tanfield School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Tanfield School for 2021 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in County Durham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
691 pupils
788 places
97 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Stanley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stanley
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
100
SEN Support
32
EHC Plans
17.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
739
Total Pupils
412
Boys
327
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
45
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,802
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,375
Per pupil
£5611k
Total funding
£247k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
18.5%
Persistent absence
731
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Tanfield School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Tanfield School
What are GCSE results like at Tanfield School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Tanfield School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 54.4. 63% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Tanfield School's Ofsted rating?
Tanfield School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in May 2020. Before that, as Tanfield School, Specialist College of Science and Engineering (URN 114293), it was rated Inadequate in February 2019.
What is the catchment area for Tanfield School?
No fixed boundary. When Tanfield School is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Tanfield School?
Tanfield School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 788 places.
How big are the classes at Tanfield School?
Classes at Tanfield School average 23.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Tanfield School?
Tanfield School has around 739 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Tanfield School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Tanfield School in 2024/25. 18.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Tanfield School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Tanfield School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Tanfield School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 4 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 Tanfield School?
Tanfield School is at Tanfield Lea Road, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 8AY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)