Best secondary schools in Northumberland (2026)
Northumberland has 16 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is Ponteland High School, in the top 21% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 44.5, against 46.1 for England. 0 are in England's top 10%, and 0 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Northumberland has no grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 21% in England |
Ponteland High School Ponteland |
53.1 | 53.0 | 56% | Good | |
2 Top 21% in England |
Queen Elizabeth High School Hexham |
52.6 | 50.7 | 53% | Good | |
3 Top 24% in England |
The King Edward VI School Morpeth |
51.8 | 52.2 | 58% | Not judged | |
4 Top 34% in England |
Ashington Academy Ashington (Northumberland) |
48.3 | 47.1 | 49% | Good | |
5 Top 46% in England |
Prudhoe Community High School Prudhoe |
47.6 | 46.6 | 39% | No rating | |
6 Top 48% in England |
Cramlington Learning Village Cramlington |
46.6 | 46.7 | 47% | Report card | |
7 Top 49% in England |
Bedlington Academy Bedlington |
46.0 | 47.4 | 44% | Good | |
8 Top 50% in England |
Bede Academy Blyth (Northumberland) · Christian |
45.6 | 48.9 | 48% | Good | |
9 Bottom 46% in England |
The Blyth Academy Blyth (Northumberland) |
43.5 | 49.2 | 59% | Good | |
10 Bottom 36% in England |
The Duchess's Community High School Alnwick |
43.2 | 43.2 | 38% | Requires improvement | |
11 Bottom 35% in England |
St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy Bedlington · Roman Catholic |
43.7 | 41.3 | 31% | Good | |
12 Bottom 34% in England |
Seaton Valley High School Northumberland |
42.6 | 43.2 | 34% | No rating | |
13 Bottom 15% in England |
Berwick Academy Berwick-upon-Tweed |
38.5 | 40.3 | 34% | Requires improvement | |
14 Bottom 14% in England |
Haydon Bridge High School Haydon Bridge |
39.1 | 35.1 | 14% | Report card | |
15 Bottom 8% in England |
Coquet Community School Amble |
36.6 | 34.9 | 24% | Good | |
16 Bottom 7% in England |
NCEA Duke's Secondary School Ashington (Northumberland) · Church of England |
35.2 | 32.0 | 21% | Requires improvement |
Questions
What is the best secondary school in Northumberland?
On exam results over the last three years, Ponteland High School is the top-ranked secondary school in Northumberland, in the top 21% 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.