The Duchess's Community High School, Alnwick
The Duchess's Community High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Alnwick, part of Pele Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 10th-highest of the 16 schools in Northumberland with published results, and 2,455th of 3,298 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Northumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Duchess's Community High School in detail
The Duchess's Community High School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Founded in 1808 by the Duchess of Northumberland, DCHS has always had one purpose: to open doors . For over two centuries, we’ve served the young people of Alnwick and its surrounding villages, from the Cheviots to the North Sea - with pride, purpose, and care. excellent teaching that is consistent, no matter which classroom you are in."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Duchess's Community High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Northumberland and 47 across England.
35% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Northumberland and 47% in England.
That is down from 43.2 in 2025.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 25.5, against 44.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 19.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 29 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at The Duchess's Community High School
For September 2026 entry, 189 families put The Duchess's Community High School as their first choice and 198 named it as one of their preferences, for 188 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Duchess's Community High School
The trust
The Duchess's Community High School is one of 14 schools run by Pele Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 259 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 27% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 7% into work.
Of the 150 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 46% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 31% into work. 20% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
2.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Alnmouth Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Taylor Drive-Duchess High School (sw), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 28 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Duchess's Community High School issued 394 suspensions, 29.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Duchess's Community High School are St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Alnwick (0.8 miles); Swansfield Park Primary School (0.8 miles); and Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School (1.2 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Paul's Catholic Primary School, AlnwickSwansfield Park Primary SchoolNcea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary 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; 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
The Duchess's Community High School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in December 2023. Before that, as The Duchess's Community High School (URN 122362), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2021.
About
The Duchess's Community High School is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form located in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is a community school administered by Northumberland County Council.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
17.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Attainment 8 has declined from 43.2 to 41.3 (2025 to 2026), while gCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 35% (2025 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 41.3 | 34.9% |
| Disadvantaged(36) | - | 25.5 | 8.3% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(156) | - | 44.9 | 41% |
| Boys(94) | - | 41.1 | 40.4% |
| Girls(98) | - | 41.5 | 29.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(6) | - | 33.7 | 16.7% |
| Non mobile(189) | - | 41.8 | 35.4% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 9 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 259 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
7
Permanent exclusions
0.52%
Exclusion rate
394
Suspensions
29.38%
Suspension rate
127 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,341 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Keep up with The Duchess's Community High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Duchess's Community High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Duchess's Community High School is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 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 The Duchess's Community High School
Will you get a place at The Duchess's Community High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Duchess's Community High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Duchess's Community High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Duchess's Community High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Northumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Duchess's Community High School for 2024 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Northumberland 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
81%
Available places
1,338 pupils
1,651 places
313 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Alnwick
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Alnwick
Across Northumberland council
Places available
2,104
Applications
1,819
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
169
SEN Support
56
EHC Plans
17.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,276
Total Pupils
635
Boys
641
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
84
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,416
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,886
Per pupil
£7952k
Total funding
£211k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.9%
Overall absence
29.3%
Persistent absence
1,128
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
The Duchess's Community High School
Questions parents ask about The Duchess's Community High School
What are GCSE results like at The Duchess's Community High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Duchess's Community High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 41.3. 35% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Duchess's Community High School's Ofsted rating?
The Duchess's Community High School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in December 2023. Before that, as The Duchess's Community High School (URN 122362), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2021.
What is the catchment area for The Duchess's Community High School?
No fixed boundary. When The Duchess's Community High School is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Duchess's Community High School?
The Duchess's Community High School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 1651 places.
How big are the classes at The Duchess's Community High School?
Classes at The Duchess's Community High School average 21.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Duchess's Community High School?
The Duchess's Community High School has around 1276 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Duchess's Community High School?
9.9% of sessions were missed at The Duchess's Community High School in 2024/25. 29.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Duchess's Community High School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming The Duchess's Community High 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 The Duchess's Community High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Duchess's Community High School?
The Duchess's Community High School is at Taylor Drive, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 2DH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)