Best primary schools in Durham (2026)
Durham has 13 ranked primary schools with published results. The top-ranked is Framwellgate Moor Primary School, in the top 3% in England. The average reading, writing & maths here in 2025 was 73%, against 62% for England. 2 are in England's top 10%, and 1 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
| Rank | School | Reading, writing & maths (2023–2025 average) | Reading, writing & maths 2025 | Trend | Higher standard | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 3% in England |
Framwellgate Moor Primary School Durham |
84% | 87% | 33% | Outstanding | |
2 Top 6% in England |
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Durham · Church of England |
82% | 85% | 16% | Report card | |
3 Top 11% in England |
St Oswald's Church of England Aided Primary and Nursery School Durham · Church of England |
80% | 74% | 5% | No rating | |
4 Top 12% in England |
Finchale Primary School Durham |
76% | 78% | 19% | No rating | |
5 Top 13% in England |
St Godric's Catholic Primary School, Durham Durham · Roman Catholic |
76% | 73% | 10% | Good | |
6 Top 19% in England |
Neville's Cross Primary School and Nursery Durham |
74% | 67% | 7% | Good | |
7 Top 23% in England |
Belmont CofE (Controlled) Primary School Durham · Church of England |
73% | 73% | 9% | Report card | |
8 Top 29% in England |
Blue Coat CofE (Aided) Junior School Durham · Church of England |
67% | 65% | 12% | No rating | |
9 Top 38% in England |
St Thomas More Primary School, Belmont Durham · Roman Catholic |
64% | 67% | 25% | Good | |
10 Top 39% in England |
Belmont Cheveley Park Primary School Durham |
68% | 72% | 9% | Good | |
11 Bottom 43% in England |
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gilesgate Durham · Roman Catholic |
63% | 100% | 0% | No rating | |
12 Bottom 19% in England |
Durham Gilesgate Primary School Durham |
50% | 50% | 4% | Good | |
13 Bottom 13% in England |
Laurel Avenue Community Primary School Durham |
47% | 60% | 0% | Good |
Other towns in County Durham
- Annfield Plain
- Barnard Castle
- Billingham
- Bishop Auckland
- Brandon (County Durham)
- Chester-le-Street
- Consett
- Crook
- Darlington
- Egglescliffe
- Ferryhill
- Hartlepool
- Ingleby Barwick
- Newton Aycliffe
- Peterlee
- Seaham
- Shildon
- Spennymoor
- Stanley (County Durham)
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Thornaby-on-Tees
- Ushaw Moor and Bearpark
- Willington (County Durham)
- Yarm
Also see
Questions
What is the best primary school in Durham?
On exam results over the last three years, Framwellgate Moor Primary School is the top-ranked primary school in Durham, in the top 3% 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.