Schools in Durham

About schools in Durham

Most of the 57 schools listed in Durham are primary schools. Its six secondary schools are where families compare options once a child finishes primary. Older students can carry on at two sixth forms and colleges.

Every school on this page is inspected by Ofsted. Its newer reports judge a school across several areas rather than giving one overall grade, while older reports still carry the previous single grade, so read the framework and the date on each page before you set two schools side by side. Where results have been published you will also find key stage 2 scores for the primary schools and Attainment 8 for the secondary schools. An inspection or a results table captures a school at one past moment, so use this page to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

Key stage 2, 2024/25

67%

of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, across the 44 schools with published results

Key stage 4, 2024/25

49.2

average Attainment 8 score, across the 7 schools with published results

Nursery schools1

• Langley Moor Nursery School

  Local authority nursery school · Ages 2 to 5

Primary schools44

The figure beside a school is the share of its pupils who reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

• All Saints' Catholic Primary School, Lanchester

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  74%

  expected standard
• Bearpark Primary School

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  31%

  expected standard
• Belmont Cheveley Park Primary School

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  72%

  expected standard
• Belmont CofE (Controlled) Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 2 to 11

  73%

  expected standard
• Blue Coat CofE (Aided) Junior School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 7 to 11

  65%

  expected standard
• Brandon Primary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  57%

  expected standard
• Burnhope Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  50%

  expected standard
• Cassop Primary School

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  53%

  expected standard
• Coxhoe Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  84%

  expected standard
• Durham Gilesgate Primary School

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  50%

  expected standard
• Durham Newton Hall Infants' School

  Community school · Ages 3 to 7

• Edmondsley Primary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  38%

  expected standard
• Esh CofE (Aided) Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  60%

  expected standard
• Esh Winning Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  57%

  expected standard
• Finchale Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  78%

  expected standard
• Framwellgate Moor Primary School

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  87%

  expected standard
• Lanchester Endowed Parochial Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 2 to 11

  79%

  expected standard
• Langley Moor Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  77%

  expected standard
• Langley Park Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  50%

  expected standard
• Laurel Avenue Community Primary School

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  60%

  expected standard
• Ludworth Primary School

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  64%

  expected standard
• Middlestone Moor Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• Neville's Cross Primary School and Nursery

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  67%

  expected standard
• New Brancepeth Primary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  73%

  expected standard
• Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Ushaw Moor

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  60%

  expected standard
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Shotton

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• Pittington Primary School

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  65%

  expected standard
• Sacriston Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 3 to 11

  88%

  expected standard
• Sherburn Primary School

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  57%

  expected standard
• Shincliffe CofE (Controlled) Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• Silver Tree Primary School and Nursery

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  52%

  expected standard
• South Hetton Primary

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 3 to 11

  57%

  expected standard
• St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Sacriston

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  78%

  expected standard
• St Godric's Catholic Primary School, Durham

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  73%

  expected standard
• St Godrics Catholic Primary School, Thornley

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  43%

  expected standard
• St Hild's College Church of England Primary School, Durham

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gilesgate

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  100%

  expected standard
• St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  85%

  expected standard
• St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Esh Village

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  81%

  expected standard
• St Oswald's Church of England Aided Primary and Nursery School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 2 to 11

  74%

  expected standard
• St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Langley Moor

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  67%

  expected standard
• Thornley Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  54%

  expected standard
• Wheatley Hill Community Primary School

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  68%

  expected standard
• Witton Gilbert Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  53%

  expected standard

Secondary schools6

The figure beside a school is its average Attainment 8 score (out of 90) in 2024/25.

• Belmont Community School

  Community school · Ages 11 to 16

  53.4

  Attainment 8
• Durham Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  37.4

  Attainment 8
• Durham Johnston Comprehensive School

  Community school · Ages 11 to 18

  55.2

  Attainment 8
• Framwellgate School Durham

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18

  45.2

  Attainment 8
• St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18

  44.9

  Attainment 8
• St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18

  57.7

  Attainment 8

Sixth forms and colleges2

• Durham Sixth Form Centre

  Academy 16-19 converter · Ages 16 to 19

• New College Durham

  Further education · Ages 16 to 99

Special schools and alternative provision3

• Durham Trinity School & Sports College

  Community special school · Ages 2 to 19

• Elemore Hall School

  Community special school · Ages 11 to 16

• Hope Wood Academy

  Academy special converter · Ages 2 to 19

Other establishments1

• University of Durham

  Higher education institutions

Common questions about schools in Durham

How many schools are in Durham?

OfferDay lists 57 schools in Durham, including 44 primary schools and six secondary schools.

Who inspects schools in Durham?

Every school in Durham is inspected by Ofsted. Newer reports grade several areas of a school separately on a report card, while older reports carry a single overall grade, so check the framework and the date on each page before you compare two schools.

Which are the best schools in Durham?

OfferDay ranks schools in Durham where the Department for Education has published results, by key stage 2 scores for primary schools and Attainment 8 for secondary schools. The ranking links are near the top of this page. A results table only captures one part of a school, so use it to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. Information on this page was last updated on 15 July 2026.