1
The Academy at Shotton Hall
Peterlee • County Durham • SR8 1AU
1
9 Sep 2024
Top 10 Secondary schools in North East
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2022)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the region of North East. 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
144
Outstanding
15
Good
90
Median inspection year
2022
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 12% · G: 70% · RI: 16% · I: 2%
2
Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead
Gateshead • Tyne and Wear • NE9 6RZ
1
8 Jul 2024
3
Whitley Bay High School
Whitley Bay • Tyne and Wear • NE25 9AS
1
24 Jun 2024
4
Egglescliffe School
Stockton-on-Tees • TS16 0LA
1
11 Mar 2024
5
St Mary's Catholic School
Newcastle-upon-Tyne • Tyne and Wear • NE7 7PE
1
19 Oct 2023
6
Freebrough Academy
Saltburn-By-the-Sea • TS12 2SJ
1
15 Feb 2023
7
The Grangefield Academy
Stockton-on-Tees • TS18 4LE
1
2 Feb 2023
8
Dyke House Sports and Technology College
Hartlepool • TS24 8NQ
1
11 May 2022
9
North Shore Academy
Stockton-on-Tees • Cleveland • TS20 2AY
1
21 Sep 2021
10
Teesdale School and Sixth Form
Barnard Castle • DL12 8HH
1
9 Jul 2019
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
Also highly rated nearby
- St Wilfrid's RC College 1 • Nov 2018
- Outwood Academy Bydales 1 • Mar 2018
- Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy 1 • Feb 2018
- Sedgefield Community College 1 • Apr 2017
- Durham Johnston Comprehensive School 1 • Mar 2015
- Bishop Barrington Academy 2 • Sep 2024
- Laurence Jackson School 2 • Jul 2024
- Rye Hills Academy 2 • Jun 2024
- Thornhill Academy 2 • Jun 2024
- Queen Elizabeth High School 2 • Jun 2024