1
The Academy at Shotton Hall
Secondary • Academy converter • Peterlee • County Durham • SR8 1AU
Outstanding
Top 10 Secondary schools in County Durham
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2022)
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This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the district of County Durham. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total secondary schools
30
Outstanding
4
Good
19
Median inspection year
2022
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 15% · G: 70% · RI: 15% · I: 0%
2
Teesdale School and Sixth Form
Secondary • Academy sponsor led • Barnard Castle • DL12 8HH
Outstanding
3
Sedgefield Community College
Secondary • Academy converter • Stockton-on-Tees • County Durham • TS21 3DD
Outstanding
4
Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
Secondary • Community school • Durham • County Durham • DH1 4SU
Outstanding
5
Bishop Barrington Academy
Secondary • Academy converter • Bishop Auckland • County Durham • DL14 6LA
Good
6
Hermitage Academy
Secondary • Academy converter • Chester le Street • County Durham • DH2 3AD
Good
7
UTC South Durham
Secondary • University technical college • Newton Aycliffe • County Durham • DL5 6AP
Good
8
Dene Academy
Secondary • Academy converter • Peterlee • County Durham • SR8 5RL
Good
9
Parkside Academy
Secondary • Academy converter • Crook • County Durham • DL15 0QF
Good
10
Seaham High School
Secondary • Academy converter • Seaham • County Durham • SR7 0BH
Good
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
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Also highly rated nearby
- Consett Academy Good • Jun 2023
- Whitworth Park Academy Good • Nov 2022
-
🔒 8 more near-miss schoolsUnlock
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