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Schools in Chester-le-Street

A town in County Durham

  • Town
  • 13 schools and nurseries
  • 4,340 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Chester-le-Street at a glance

Ahead of England on results at 11

How Chester-le-Street's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries136 primary · 2 secondary · 5 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1176%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths45%Attainment 8 48.2, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary26%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school16%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Chester-le-Street

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Chester-le-Street primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Chester-le-Street

6 mainstream schools in Chester-le-Street, best first

Cestria Primary School

Chester le Street, DH3 3PZ · State · Primary · Ages 2 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

60 first choices, 60 offers made

Met the standard at 1174%

England 62%

Days missed
3.0%
Pupils
426
Pupils per teacher
25.6
View school Cestria Primary School

Red Rose Primary School

Chester le Street, DH3 3NA · State · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

43 first choices, 43 offers made

Met the standard at 1181%

England 62%

Days missed
4.1%
Pupils
294
Pupils per teacher
16.6
View school Red Rose Primary School
See all 6 primary schools

Top Secondary Schools in Chester-le-Street

2 mainstream schools in Chester-le-Street, best first

Park View School

Chester le Street, DH3 3QA · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good or better

Results close to the England average.

250 first choices, 235 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1646.8

England 46.2

Days missed
7.3%
Pupils
1,631
Pupils per teacher
21.7
View school Park View School

Hermitage Academy

Chester le Street, DH2 3AD · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good

Results above the England average.

133 first choices, 154 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1650.1

England 46.2

Days missed
7.4%
Pupils
881
Pupils per teacher
14.9
View school Hermitage Academy

Nurseries in Chester-le-Street

5 in Chester-le-Street, highest Ofsted grade first

See all 5 nurseries

Sixth Forms in Chester-le-Street

2 in Chester-le-Street, by the school's Eduscope score

Park View School

Chester le Street, DH3 3QA · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good or better

Results close to the England average.

250 first choices, 235 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1646.8

England 46.2

Days missed
7.3%
Pupils
1,631
Pupils per teacher
21.7
View school Park View School

Hermitage Academy

Chester le Street, DH2 3AD · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good

Results above the England average.

133 first choices, 154 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1650.1

England 46.2

Days missed
7.4%
Pupils
881
Pupils per teacher
14.9
View school Hermitage Academy
The map

Every school in Chester-le-Street, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Red Rose Primary School, GoodCestria Primary School, GoodBullion Lane Primary School, GoodChester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School, Needs attention in 1 areaNewker Primary School, Good in every areaPark View School, Good or betterHermitage Academy, GoodSt Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Chester-Le-Street, GoodMains House Nursery, OutstandingCastle View Private Day Nursery, GoodBright Star Nursery, GoodSelby Cottage Childcare Centre, OutstandingChester le Street CE Daycare
  • Outstanding2
  • Good7
  • Not graded yet4
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Chester-le-Street school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Chester-le-Street's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Chester-le-Street by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Chester-le-Street vs England

How good are Chester-le-Street's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Chester-le-Street

Chester-le-StreetEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 4 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    1 of the 1 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    76%

    England 62%

    Above England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    45%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    16%

    England 18%

    Better than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    26%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 5 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding0
  • Good5
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Chester-le-Street in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%70%90%20182019202320242025
76% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap30%45%60%2018201920222023202420252026
45% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
16% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Chester-le-Street has 13 schools and nurseries.

There are 4% fewer pupils than in 2018.

26% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Chester-le-Street's state schools each January.

Down 4% since 2018.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Chester-le-Street26%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Chester-le-Street

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

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Questions

Questions parents ask about Chester-le-Street

Nearby areas

How many schools are in Chester-le-Street?

Chester-le-Street has 13 schools, including 6 primary schools, 2 secondary schools, 5 nurseries. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Chester-le-Street?

The highest-ranked schools in Chester-le-Street on Eduscope are Cestria Primary School, Red Rose Primary School, St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Chester-Le-Street. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Chester-le-Street are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Chester-le-Street hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 5 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Chester-le-Street perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Chester-le-Street, 76% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Chester-le-Street?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Chester-le-Street is 19.8:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Chester-le-Street schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Chester-le-Street is 16.0%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Chester-le-Street?

There are 4,340 pupils enrolled across schools in Chester-le-Street, with 1,828 in primary and 2,512 in secondary. 25.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Chester-le-Street?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 13 schools in Chester-le-Street by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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