Overall Oxbridge
#805
7 ranked schools · +109 places vs Eng avg #914 of 1,983
Applications
80
Offers
16
Offer rate20.0%
-2.4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 22.4%
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.
43
Primary
schools
6
Secondary
schools
2
All-through
schools
2
Post-16
colleges
3
Special
schools
1
Other
schools
of which10sixth forms·20faith·1nurseries58 total
Area Performance
Durham schools rank in the top 46% of England
Across 61 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.40/10, -0.02 vs England.
Find My School Inspection Band
7% Elite
Distribution across all Durham schools
EliteExcellentGoodDeveloping
Durham vs England distribution
National Rank
Top 46%
Across all ranked Durham schools
Top 47%Primaryavg #7,019 of 14,978
Top 48%Secondaryavg #1,837 of 3,862
Top 39%Sixth formavg #1,000 of 2,555
Primary schools: 43 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.09 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,019
+3 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 47% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
66%
+4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
9%
+1 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.09 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,019
+3 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 47% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
66%
+4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
9%
+1 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Secondary schools: 8 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.4/10
-0.03 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,837
+2 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 48% of 3,862
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
45%
-11 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
47.1
+8.0 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.4/10
-0.03 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,837
+2 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 48% of 3,862
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
45%
-11 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
47.1
+8.0 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Sixth form schools: 10 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
8.0/10
+0.28 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,000
+11 pts vs medianmedian 1,278
top 39% of 2,555
% A*-A at A-Level
27%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
56%
+6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
8.0/10
+0.28 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,000
+11 pts vs medianmedian 1,278
top 39% of 2,555
% A*-A at A-Level
27%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
56%
+6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Oxford
#272
4 ranked schools · -19 places vs Eng avg #253 of 1,197
Applications
41
Offers
3
Offer rate7.3%
-7.8 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 15.1%
Cambridge
#854
7 ranked schools · -81 places vs Eng avg #773 of 1,880
Applications
39
Offers
13
Offer rate33.3%
+3.9 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 29.4%
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Durham
Top 3 Secondary Schools
2026
Durham
Top 3 Sixth Forms
2026
Durham
Local directory
School profiles in Durham
Browse 53 local profile links across primary schools, secondary schools and sixth forms. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
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