Schools in Durham

Founded in 995 when Anglo-Saxon monks chose a meander of the River Wear as a safe home for the relics of St Cuthbert, Durham grew into the county town of County Durham and one of England's most celebrated medieval cities. Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle, together a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rise above the river gorge at the centre, with hilly streets descending to the water on three sides. Around 50,000 people live across the built-up area today.

Quarryheads and North End are among the city's most school-competitive neighbourhoods, drawing families seeking places at the area's well-regarded state schools, while Framwellgate Moor extends the residential belt to the north. Crossgate Moor and Gilesgate add further family-friendly pockets to the south and east. Durham station sits on the East Coast Main Line, with services reaching Newcastle in around fifteen minutes.

  • 42

    Primary

    schools

  • 6

    Secondary

    schools

  • 1

    All-through

    schools

  • 2

    Post-16

    colleges

  • 3

    Special

    schools

  • 1

    Other

    schools

of which9sixth forms·18faith·1nursery schools56 total

Area Performance

Durham schools rank in the top 47% of England

Across 57 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.47/10, +0.07 vs England.

Find My School Inspection Band

11% Elite

Distribution across all Durham schools

EliteExcellentGoodDeveloping

Durham vs England distribution

National Rank

Top 47%

Across all ranked Durham schools

Top 47%Primaryavg #6,977 of 14,821
Top 51%Secondaryavg #1,954 of 3,803
Top 41%Sixth formavg #1,039 of 2,523

Local directory

School profiles in Durham

Browse 26 local profile links across primary schools in durham town, secondary schools in durham town, sixth forms in durham town and other schools. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.

21 nurseries in Durham

Primary schools in Durham town

16 local matches

Rankings

Secondary schools in Durham town

5 local matches

Rankings

Sixth forms in Durham town

6 local matches

Rankings

Other schools

4 local matches

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