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Schools in County Durham

281 open schools including 221 primary and 58 secondary providers. Browse top performers, Ofsted outcomes and links to explore every school on the map.

221

Primary

58

Secondary

20

Post-16

Ofsted outcomes in County Durham

Outstanding25 (9%)
Good207 (74%)
Requires improvement17 (6%)
Inadequate2 (1%)

Top primary schools in County Durham

DfE data for 202425 academic year

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  1. 1

    St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gilesgate

    Durham | Good

    100%

    KS2 RWM expected

  2. 2

    Bullion Lane Primary School

    Chester le Street | Good

    94%

    KS2 RWM expected

  3. 3

    New Seaham Academy

    Seaham | Good

    94%

    KS2 RWM expected

  4. 4

    Thornhill Primary School

    Shildon | Outstanding

    93%

    KS2 RWM expected

  5. 5

    Ingleton CofE Primary School

    Darlington | Good

    89%

    KS2 RWM expected

  6. 6

    Cockfield Primary School

    Bishop Auckland | Good

    88%

    KS2 RWM expected

  7. 7

    Sacriston Academy

    Durham | Good

    88%

    KS2 RWM expected

  8. 8

    Framwellgate Moor Primary School

    Durham | Outstanding

    87%

    KS2 RWM expected

Top secondary schools in County Durham

DfE data for 202425 academic year

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  1. 1

    St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham

    Durham | Outstanding

    57.5

    Attainment 8

  2. 2

    Tanfield School

    Stanley | Inadequate

    57.4

    Attainment 8

  3. 3

    Durham Johnston Comprehensive School

    Durham | Outstanding

    55.1

    Attainment 8

  4. 4

    Belmont Community School

    Durham | Good

    53.3

    Attainment 8

  5. 5

    The Academy at Shotton Hall

    Peterlee | Outstanding

    52.1

    Attainment 8

  6. 6

    Durham High School

    51.7

    Attainment 8

  7. 7

    Easington Academy

    Peterlee | Good

    51.7

    Attainment 8

  8. 8

    Sedgefield Community College

    Stockton-on-Tees | Outstanding

    51.4

    Attainment 8

Selective schools may also appear in our grammar schools section.

Top post-16 providers in County Durham

DfE data for 2024/25 academic year

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  1. 1

    Durham Sixth Form Centre

    Durham

    39.8

    A-Level APS

  2. 2

    Durham Johnston Comprehensive School

    Durham | Outstanding

    39.7

    A-Level APS

  3. 3

    Durham High School

    39.5

    A-Level APS

  4. 4

    St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham

    Durham | Outstanding

    38.9

    A-Level APS

  5. 5

    St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

    Bishop Auckland | Good

    36.4

    A-Level APS

  6. 6

    Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation

    35.9

    A-Level APS

  7. 7

    Barnard Castle School

    Barnard Castle

    35.1

    A-Level APS

  8. 8

    Teesdale School and Sixth Form

    Barnard Castle | Outstanding

    34.1

    A-Level APS

About schools in County Durham

This page summarises open schools in County Durham using official DfE exam results and Ofsted inspection data on FavSchools. Use the school map to search by postcode, league tables for full rankings, and compare to review schools side by side before applying through your local authority.

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Frequently asked questions

How many schools are in County Durham?
County Durham has 281 open schools on FavSchools, including 221 primary, 58 secondary and post-16 providers with published data where available.
How are top schools in County Durham ranked?
Primary schools are ranked by KS2 reading, writing and maths expected standard. Secondary schools use GCSE Attainment 8. Post-16 providers use A-Level average point score per entry. All figures come from the latest DfE performance tables.
How do I find schools near me in County Durham?
Use the FavSchools interactive map to search by postcode within County Durham, filter by Ofsted rating and phase, then compare shortlisted schools side by side.