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Best secondary schools in County Durham

30 of 31 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all County Durham schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 Tanfield School Stanley 0.83 Not judged oversubscribed 1.35 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham Durham 0.64 Not judged about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 The Academy at Shotton Hall Peterlee 0.58 Outstanding about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 Sedgefield Community College Stockton-on-Tees 0.36 Outstanding about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Dene Academy Peterlee 0.33 Good about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 Wellfield School Wingate hidden gem 0.3 Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 Teesdale School and Sixth Form Barnard Castle hidden gem 0.27 Outstanding about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester Durham 0.22 Requires improvement about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 Durham Johnston Comprehensive School Durham 0.18 Not judged improving oversubscribed 1.28 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College Bishop Auckland 0.16 Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 Belmont Community School Durham 0.15 Good about even 1.15 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
12 Hermitage Academy Chester le Street hidden gem 0.12 Good about even 0.86 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 Woodham Academy Newton Aycliffe 0.09 Good improving about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 Parkside Academy Crook hidden gem 0.01 Good about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 Whitworth Park Academy Spennymoor -0.01 Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 Framwellgate School Durham Durham -0.05 Not judged undersubscribed 0.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 Easington Academy Peterlee -0.12 Not judged about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 Park View School Chester le Street -0.14 Not judged declining about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
19 Staindrop Academy Darlington -0.16 Good about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
20 Consett Academy Consett hidden gem -0.2 Good improving about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
21 King James I Academy Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland -0.21 Good about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
22 St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College Peterlee hidden gem -0.22 Good about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
23 Durham Academy Durham -0.25 Requires improvement about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
24 Bishop Barrington Academy Bishop Auckland hidden gem -0.27 Good about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
25 Wolsingham School Bishop Auckland -0.35 Good oversubscribed 1.27 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
26 Ferryhill School Ferryhill hidden gem -0.37 Good about even 0.86 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
27 North Durham Academy Stanley hidden gem -0.43 Good improving undersubscribed 0.73 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
28 Seaham High School Seaham hidden gem -0.43 Good about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
29 Greenfield Academy Newton Aycliffe -0.5 Requires improvement about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
30 UTC South Durham Newton Aycliffe -0.99 Good — approximate

Also in County Durham

1 further secondary school with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of County Durham, not a fairer one.

Applying in County Durham

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the County Durham admission criteria.

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