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Schools in Peterlee

A town in County Durham

  • Town
  • 18 schools and nurseries
  • 4,779 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.

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

Peterlee at a glance

Behind England on results at 11

How Peterlee's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries187 primary · 3 secondary · 6 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1152%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths46%Attainment 8 47.8, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary45%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school24%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Peterlee

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 Peterlee primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Peterlee

7 mainstream schools in Peterlee, best first

Shotton Hall Primary School

Peterlee, SR8 1NX · State · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results close to the England average.

61 first choices, 50 offers made

Met the standard at 1164%

England 62%

Days missed
4.4%
Pupils
350
Pupils per teacher
22.4
View school Shotton Hall Primary School

Dene House Primary School

Peterlee, SR8 5RL · Academy · Primary · Ages 5 to 11

  • Ofsted:Expected standard or better

Results below the England average.

32 first choices, 32 offers made

Met the standard at 1159%

England 62%

Days missed
7.1%
Pupils
303
Pupils per teacher
18.9
View school Dene House Primary School

Top Secondary Schools in Peterlee

3 mainstream schools in Peterlee, best first

The Academy at Shotton Hall

Peterlee, SR8 1AU · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

277 first choices, 271 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1655.0

England 46.2

Days missed
7.6%
Pupils
1,202
Pupils per teacher
13.1
View school The Academy at Shotton Hall

Dene Academy

Peterlee, SR8 5RL · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results below the England average.

101 first choices, 104 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1641.2

England 46.2

Days missed
10.3%
Pupils
638
Pupils per teacher
13.9
View school Dene Academy

Nurseries in Peterlee

6 in Peterlee, highest Ofsted grade first

Sixth Forms in Peterlee

1 in Peterlee, by the school's Eduscope score

Private Schools in Peterlee

1 in Peterlee. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Open Air Education

Sr8 1nj · Independent · All-through · Ages 4 to 14

  • Ofsted:Good

Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
21
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Open Air Education
The map

Every school in Peterlee, 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
Acre Rigg Infant School, Expected standard or betterHowletch Lane Primary School, Requires improvement in 1 areaSeascape Primary School, Urgent improvement in 5 areasShotton Hall Primary School, GoodThe Academy at Shotton Hall, OutstandingAcre Rigg Academy, GoodEndeavour Academy Durham, GoodDene House Primary School, Expected standard or betterOur Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, GoodDene Academy, GoodSt Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, GoodOpen Air Education, GoodThe Sunshine Nursery, OutstandingThe Sunshine Day Nursery, GoodHowletch & Shotton Primary Childcare, GoodPositive Steps Nursery, GoodThe Sunshine Day Nursery @ Seascape Children's Centre, GoodPlayology Forest School Castle Eden Dene, Strong standard in every area
  • Outstanding2
  • Good11
  • Not graded yet5
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 Peterlee school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Peterlee's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Peterlee by postcode

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

Peterlee vs England

How good are Peterlee'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 Peterlee

PeterleeEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 3 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    3 of the 3 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    52%

    England 62%

    Below England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    46%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

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

    24%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    45%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 8 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding1
  • Good7
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Peterlee in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap30%50%70%20182019202320242025
52% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap30%45%60%2018201920222023202420252026
46% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%20%40%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
24% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Peterlee has 18 schools and nurseries.

There are 4% more pupils than in 2018.

45% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Peterlee's state schools each January.

Up 4% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

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.

Peterlee45%

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 Peterlee

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

Questions

Questions parents ask about Peterlee

How many schools are in Peterlee?

Peterlee has 18 schools, including 8 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, 6 nurseries, 1 independent school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Peterlee?

The highest-ranked schools in Peterlee on Eduscope are The Academy at Shotton Hall, Shotton Hall Primary School, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School. 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 Peterlee are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Peterlee hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 1 school rated Outstanding and 7 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Peterlee perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Peterlee, 52% 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 Peterlee?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Peterlee is 15.8:1. 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 Peterlee schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Peterlee is 23.7%. 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 Peterlee?

There are 4,779 pupils enrolled across schools in Peterlee, with 1,998 in primary and 2,781 in secondary. 43.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in Peterlee?

There is 1 independent school in Peterlee. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare it on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.

How do I choose the right school in Peterlee?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 18 schools in Peterlee 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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