Wolsingham School, Bishop Auckland
Wolsingham School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Bishop Auckland, part of Advance Learning Partnership. Its 2026 GCSE results were the highest of the 5 schools in Bishop Auckland with published results, and 732nd of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below 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
Wolsingham School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Wolsingham School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.6 in County Durham and 47 across England.
53% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in County Durham and 47% in England.
That is up from 44.7 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.35: 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 46.2, against 55.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.9 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Wolsingham School
For September 2026 entry, 181 families put Wolsingham School as their first choice and 368 named it as one of their preferences, for 143 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 41 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
The trust
Wolsingham School is one of 23 schools run by Advance Learning Partnership, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.3 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 138 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 49% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 176 pupils (22.7%) received SEN support and 32 (4.1%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wolsingham Rail Station, about 780 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (w-bound), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 10 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 County Durham (84).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Wolsingham School issued 67 suspensions, 9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.
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
Ofsted · 3 years agoWolsingham School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2020. Before that, as Wolsingham School (URN 114297), it was rated Good in January 2015.
About
Wolsingham School is a coeducational secondary school located in Wolsingham, County Durham, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
30.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.18 to -0.35 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 48.3 to 52.0 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 44% to 53% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 52.0 | 52.7% |
| Disadvantaged(53) | - | 46.2 | 37.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(97) | - | 55.1 | 60.8% |
| Boys(71) | - | 52.3 | 53.5% |
| Girls(79) | - | 51.6 | 51.9% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(148) | - | 52.3 | 53.4% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 138 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
4
Permanent exclusions
0.54%
Exclusion rate
67
Suspensions
9.02%
Suspension rate
40 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 743 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Keep up with Wolsingham School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Wolsingham School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Wolsingham 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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
Your chances of a place at Wolsingham School
Will you get a place at Wolsingham School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Wolsingham School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Wolsingham School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Wolsingham 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 Wolsingham 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
99%
Near capacity
748 pupils
750 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bishop Auckland
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bishop Auckland
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
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
176
SEN Support
32
EHC Plans
26.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
774
Total Pupils
392
Boys
382
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
44
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,905
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,032
Per pupil
£5616k
Total funding
£205k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
25.8%
Persistent absence
784
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
Wolsingham School
Questions parents ask about Wolsingham School
What are GCSE results like at Wolsingham School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Wolsingham School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 52. 53% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Wolsingham School's Ofsted rating?
Wolsingham School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2020. Before that, as Wolsingham School (URN 114297), it was rated Good in January 2015.
What is the catchment area for Wolsingham School?
No fixed boundary. When Wolsingham 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 Wolsingham School?
Wolsingham School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Wolsingham School?
Classes at Wolsingham School average 24.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Wolsingham School?
Wolsingham School has around 774 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Wolsingham School?
8.8% of sessions were missed at Wolsingham School in 2024/25. 25.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Wolsingham School?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Wolsingham 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 Wolsingham School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Wolsingham School?
Wolsingham School is at The Grammar School Building, West End, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 3DJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)