SchoolsInfo

Private schools in County Durham (2026)

9 fee-paying schools, 2 taking boarders, listed by A level results where the school publishes them, then by name.

Schools
9
fee-paying
Boarding
2
take boarders
Publish A levels
4
16 to 18 results
Typical day fee
£5,371
a term before VAT (North East, ISC 2026)
Filter these schools →All of England
SchoolAgesA level
Yarm School
Yarm · Co-ed · Day
11–18B+
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation
Durham · Co-ed · Boarding
3–18B-
Teesside High School
Egglescliffe · Co-ed · Day
2–18B-
Barnard Castle School
Barnard Castle · Co-ed · Boarding · Christian
4–19B-
Delta Independent School
Consett · Co-ed · Day
13–16—
Open Air Education
Peterlee · Co-ed · Day
4–14—
Red House School
Stockton-on-Tees · Co-ed · Day
3–17—
The Independent Grammar School:Durham
Esh Winning · Co-ed · Day
4–16—
Yarm Preparatory School
Yarm · Co-ed · Day
2–11—

Not a ranking. Fee-paying schools do not sit the same tests as state schools: many take IGCSEs, which the government's GCSE tables leave out, so we list them by their average A level grade where they report it (Department for Education 16 to 18 results) and then by name. Many fee-paying schools do not report A levels, so a dash does not mean poor results. Fee income per pupil is the school's income from fees in its latest Charity Commission accounts divided by its pupils: a guide to cost, not the fee list, and only shown where the charity runs that one school. Inspections: Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) or Ofsted.

Questions

What are the best private schools in County Durham?

By average A level grade: Yarm School (B+), Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation (B-), Teesside High School (B-). Not every school publishes A levels, so look at inspection reports and visit too.

How many private schools are there in County Durham?

9 mainstream fee-paying schools, 2 of them taking boarders.

How much do private schools in County Durham cost?

As a guide, the Independent Schools Council's 2026 census puts the average day school fee in North East at £5,371 a term (about £19,300 a year with VAT) and the average boarding fee at £12,095 a term, before VAT. Individual schools charge more or less than this, and more for older pupils: each school's website gives its fee list.

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