Best secondary schools in County Durham (2026)
County Durham has 55 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham, in the top 12% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 45.8, against 46.1 for England. 0 are in England's top 10%, and 4 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. County Durham has no grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 12% in England |
St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham Durham · Roman Catholic |
58.1 | 57.7 | 59% | Not judged | |
2 Top 12% in England |
All Saints Church of England Academy Ingleby Barwick · Church of England |
55.5 | 54.6 | 68% | Not judged | |
3 Top 14% in England |
Durham Johnston Comprehensive School Durham |
55.7 | 55.2 | 62% | Not judged | |
4 Top 16% in England |
Tanfield School Tanfield Lea |
54.4 | 57.5 | 72% | Not judged | |
5 Top 17% in England |
Egglescliffe School Stockton-on-Tees |
54.0 | 51.4 | 60% | Outstanding | |
6 Top 18% in England |
Carmel College Darlington · Roman Catholic |
53.4 | 53.5 | 60% | Not judged | |
7 Top 20% in England |
Ingleby Manor Free School Ingleby Barwick |
52.5 | 52.2 | 60% | Good | |
8 Top 22% in England |
The Academy at Shotton Hall Peterlee |
53.3 | 52.2 | 53% | Outstanding | |
9 Top 24% in England |
Sedgefield Community College Sedgefield |
52.6 | 51.5 | 50% | No rating | |
10 Top 25% in England |
Teesdale School and Sixth Form Barnard Castle |
51.7 | 49.6 | 49% | No rating | |
11 Top 27% in England |
Belmont Community School Durham |
51.1 | 53.4 | 59% | No rating | |
12 Top 27% in England |
Hurworth School Hurworth-on-Tees |
50.8 | 49.1 | 52% | Good | |
13 Top 28% in England |
Conyers School Yarm |
50.5 | 49.7 | 55% | No rating | |
14 Top 28% in England |
Easington Academy Easington (County Durham) |
50.8 | 51.8 | 57% | Not judged | |
15 Top 35% in England |
Hummersknott Academy Darlington |
48.0 | 47.8 | 57% | Report card | |
16 Top 35% in England |
Wellfield School Wingate |
48.3 | 47.8 | 52% | No rating | |
17 Top 39% in England |
St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College Bishop Auckland · Roman Catholic |
48.2 | 46.4 | 41% | No rating | |
18 Top 40% in England |
Whitworth Park Academy Spennymoor |
48.8 | 50.4 | 55% | Good | |
19 Top 40% in England |
St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester Lanchester · Roman Catholic |
48.1 | 44.9 | 42% | Report card | |
20 Top 42% in England |
The Grangefield Academy Stockton-on-Tees |
46.0 | 45.3 | 50% | Outstanding | |
21 Top 44% in England |
Hermitage Academy Chester-le-Street |
47.7 | 49.1 | 43% | Good | |
22 Top 44% in England |
Park View School Chester-le-Street |
47.7 | 46.4 | 40% | Not judged | |
23 Top 45% in England |
Dyke House Sports and Technology College Hartlepool |
45.8 | 49.2 | 57% | Outstanding | |
24 Top 46% in England |
North Shore Academy Stockton-on-Tees |
46.4 | 48.2 | 48% | Report card | |
25 Top 46% in England |
Northfield School and Sports College Billingham |
46.0 | 45.3 | 49% | Good | |
26 Top 47% in England |
Woodham Academy Newton Aycliffe |
47.3 | 48.2 | 46% | No rating | |
27 Top 47% in England |
Framwellgate School Durham Durham |
47.0 | 45.2 | 40% | Not judged | |
28 Top 47% in England |
Wolsingham School Wolsingham |
47.0 | 44.7 | 38% | No rating | |
29 Top 49% in England |
Parkside Academy Willington (County Durham) |
46.1 | 46.9 | 56% | Good | |
30 Bottom 50% in England |
Staindrop Academy Staindrop |
46.6 | 45.6 | 38% | Good | |
31 Bottom 47% in England |
Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy Stockton-on-Tees · Church of England |
45.2 | 45.6 | 48% | Good | |
32 Bottom 46% in England |
Manor Community Academy Hartlepool |
44.4 | 46.9 | 50% | Report card | |
33 Bottom 44% in England |
Seaham High School Seaham |
45.5 | 45.8 | 40% | Good | |
34 Bottom 43% in England |
Longfield Academy Darlington |
44.3 | 42.8 | 44% | Not judged | |
35 Bottom 42% in England |
Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy Stockton-on-Tees · Roman Catholic |
44.3 | 43.3 | 38% | Not judged | |
36 Bottom 40% in England |
Consett Academy Consett |
44.0 | 44.2 | 44% | Good | |
37 Bottom 40% in England |
St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College Peterlee · Roman Catholic |
43.7 | 44.5 | 42% | No rating | |
38 Bottom 35% in England |
High Tunstall College of Science Hartlepool |
42.9 | 44.3 | 48% | Not judged | |
39 Bottom 34% in England |
Polam Hall School Darlington |
43.1 | 44.6 | 38% | Report card | |
40 Bottom 33% in England |
St Michael's Catholic Academy Billingham · Roman Catholic |
42.7 | 41.9 | 36% | Good | |
41 Bottom 33% in England |
English Martyrs Catholic School and Sixth Form College Hartlepool · Roman Catholic |
43.0 | 41.2 | 34% | Not judged | |
42 Bottom 31% in England |
King James I Academy Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland |
43.6 | 43.9 | 29% | Report card | |
43 Bottom 29% in England |
St Patrick's Catholic College, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Thornaby-on-Tees · Roman Catholic |
42.1 | 40.3 | 31% | Report card | |
44 Bottom 25% in England |
Haughton Academy Darlington |
40.2 | 38.0 | 34% | Report card | |
45 Bottom 23% in England |
Ferryhill School Ferryhill |
42.2 | 41.5 | 25% | No rating | |
46 Bottom 20% in England |
Bishop Barrington Academy Bishop Auckland |
41.6 | 39.4 | 24% | Good | |
47 Bottom 19% in England |
St Aidan's Church of England Academy Darlington · Church of England |
39.4 | 40.0 | 41% | Good | |
48 Bottom 19% in England |
Dene Academy Peterlee |
40.5 | 41.4 | 33% | Good | |
49 Bottom 16% in England |
Thornaby Academy Thornaby-on-Tees |
37.2 | 40.9 | 48% | Report card | |
50 Bottom 14% in England |
Wyvern Academy Darlington |
38.7 | 37.7 | 24% | Good | |
51 Bottom 13% in England |
North Durham Academy Stanley (County Durham) |
38.5 | 39.8 | 32% | Good | |
52 Bottom 10% in England |
Greenfield Academy Newton Aycliffe |
36.7 | 35.7 | 30% | Requires improvement | |
53 Bottom 7% in England |
Durham Academy Ushaw Moor and Bearpark |
36.8 | 37.4 | 22% | Report card | |
54 Bottom 5% in England |
St Hild's Church of England School Hartlepool · Church of England |
34.6 | 34.0 | 25% | Requires improvement | |
55 Bottom 2% in England |
Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth Stockton-on-Tees |
30.5 | 31.1 | 28% | Not judged |
Best secondary school in each town
- Durham · best: St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham
- Darlington · best: Carmel College
- Peterlee · best: The Academy at Shotton Hall
- Bishop Auckland · best: St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College
- Stockton-on-Tees · best: The Grangefield Academy
- Hartlepool · best: Dyke House Sports and Technology College
Also see
Questions
What is the best secondary school in County Durham?
On exam results over the last three years, St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham is the top-ranked secondary school in County Durham, in the top 12% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.