Graded inspection · Sep 2024 Previous framework
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal development
- Leadership and management
This schoolOther secondary schools in County Durham
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Outstanding | Good | Requires improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good | |||
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding | |||
| Personal development | Outstanding | |||
| Leadership and management | Good |
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry406 applications · 149 places offered · 201 named it first
- 2026 2.7; County Durham median median 1.8
- 2025 2.7; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2024 2.8; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2023 2.1; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2022 2.1; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2021 2.0; County Durham median median 2.0
- 2020 3.0; County Durham median median 1.9; as the previous school
- 2019 2.2; County Durham median median 2.0; as the previous school
- 2018 2.1; County Durham median median 2.0; as the previous school
- 2017 1.7; County Durham median median 1.7; as the previous school
- 2016 1.4; County Durham median median 1.5; as the previous school
- 2015 2.0; County Durham median median 1.5; as the previous school
- 2014 1.9; County Durham median median 1.4; as the previous school
- This school
- County Durham median
Dashed bars: as Tanfield School, Specialist College of Science and Engineering (URN 114293), the previous school.
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 149 | 406 | 2.7 | 201 | 1.35 |
| Sep 2025 | 149 | 405 | 2.7 | 185 | 1.24 |
| Sep 2024 | 152 | 424 | 2.8 | 227 | 1.49 |
| Sep 2023 | 154 | 329 | 2.1 | 180 | 1.17 |
| Sep 2022 | 157 | 328 | 2.1 | 155 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2021 | 152 | 307 | 2.0 | 127 | 0.84 |
| Sep 2020 * | 97 | 287 | 3.0 | 81 | 0.84 |
| Sep 2019 * | 149 | 322 | 2.2 | 140 | 0.94 |
| Sep 2018 * | 150 | 310 | 2.1 | 152 | 1.01 |
| Sep 2017 * | 164 | 275 | 1.7 | 159 | 0.97 |
| Sep 2016 * | 124 | 171 | 1.4 | 117 | 0.94 |
| Sep 2015 * | 83 | 168 | 2.0 | 80 | 0.96 |
| Sep 2014 * | 88 | 164 | 1.9 | 84 | 0.95 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 131 | 54.4 | 63% | 84% | – |
| 2024/25 | 90 | 57.5 | 72% | 86% | – |
| 2023/24 | 139 | 50.9 | 59% | 71% | +0.83 |
| 2022/23 | 144 | 54.7 | 60% | 79% | +0.66 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Tanfield SchoolThis schoolThis schoolGraded · no overall grade20242.7applications per place 54.4Attainment 8
- 1.2 km · County DurhamGood20221.6applications per place 39.9Attainment 8
- 6.0 km · County Durham20261.9applications per place 45.8Attainment 8
- 7.2 km · GatesheadGraded · no overall grade20252.6applications per place 50.2Attainment 8
- 7.9 km · County DurhamGood20242.4applications per place 50.1Attainment 8
- 8.1 km · County DurhamGood20231.4applications per place 47.2Attainment 8
- 8.6 km · Gateshead20262.3applications per place 40.1Attainment 8
- 8.8 km · Gateshead20261.9applications per place 45.1Attainment 8
- 8.9 km · Gateshead20251.8applications per place 45.2Attainment 8
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 147894 · 840/4011
- Trust
- Eden Learning Trust
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 690 pupils · 739 on roll
- Free school meals
- 32.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 May 2020
- Replaced
- Tanfield School, Specialist College of Science and Engineering (URN 114293)
- Address
- Tanfield Lea Road, Stanley, DH9 8AY
- Local authority
- County Durham
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources