Overall Oxbridge
#613
4 ranked schools · +40 places vs Eng avg #653 of 1,538
Applications
93
Offers
22
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
Area Performance
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
Distribution across all Durham schools
Durham vs England distribution
National Rank
Across all ranked Durham schools
top 47% of 14,821
top 47% of 14,821
top 51% of 3,803
top 51% of 3,803
top 41% of 2,523
top 41% of 2,523
Overall Oxbridge
4 ranked schools · +40 places vs Eng avg #653 of 1,538
Applications
93
Offers
22
Oxford
6 ranked schools · +9 places vs Eng avg #262 of 1,866
Applications
45
Offers
6
Cambridge
4 ranked schools · +60 places vs Eng avg #699 of 1,830
Applications
48
Offers
16
2026
Durham town
2026
Durham town
2026
Durham town
Local directory
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.
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