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Schools in Spennymoor

A town in County Durham

  • Town
  • 15 schools and nurseries
  • 3,336 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were above 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

Spennymoor at a glance

Strong results at 16, weaker attendance

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

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries157 primary · 1 secondary · 5 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1164%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths54%Attainment 8 51.3, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary31%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school20%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Spennymoor

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 Spennymoor primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Spennymoor

7 mainstream schools in Spennymoor, best first

Tudhoe Colliery Primary School

Spennymoor, DL16 6TJ · Academy · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good or better

Results well above the England average.

30 first choices, 30 offers made

Met the standard at 1172%

England 62%

Days missed
3.6%
Pupils
212
Pupils per teacher
23.1
View school Tudhoe Colliery Primary School

Top Secondary Schools in Spennymoor

1 mainstream schools in Spennymoor, best first

Whitworth Park Academy

Spennymoor, DL16 7LN · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results above the England average.

219 first choices, 218 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1651.3

England 46.2

Days missed
8.9%
Pupils
996
Pupils per teacher
17.6
View school Whitworth Park Academy

Nurseries in Spennymoor

5 in Spennymoor, highest Ofsted grade first

Sixth Forms in Spennymoor

1 in Spennymoor, by the school's Eduscope score

The Oaks Secondary School

Spennymoor, DL16 7DB · Special · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
8.0%
Pupils
349
Pupils per teacher
9.0
View school The Oaks Secondary School

Special Schools in Spennymoor

2 in Spennymoor. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

The Oaks Secondary School

Spennymoor, DL16 7DB · Special · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
8.0%
Pupils
349
Pupils per teacher
9.0
View school The Oaks Secondary School

Norman Cornish Academy

Spennymoor, DL16 7QW · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Requires improvement

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
29.9%
Pupils
64
Pupils per teacher
5.1
View school Norman Cornish Academy
The map

Every school in Spennymoor, 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
Tudhoe Moor Nursery School, GoodSpringmoor Grange School, GoodKing Street Primary School, GoodNorth Park Primary School, GoodThe Oaks Secondary School, OutstandingTudhoe Colliery Primary School, Good or betterRosa Street Primary and Nursery Academy, GoodWhitworth Park Academy, GoodSt Charles' Catholic Primary School, Tudhoe, GoodMiddlestone Moor Academy, Needs attention in 1 areaNorman Cornish Academy, Requires improvementJack in the Box Day Care, GoodPixley Dell Nursery, GoodRainbow Nursery, GoodTudhoe Moor Nursery Pre-School
  • Outstanding1
  • Good10
  • Requires improvement1
  • Not graded yet3
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.

Postcodes

Browse Spennymoor by postcode

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

Spennymoor vs England

How good are Spennymoor'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 Spennymoor

SpennymoorEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 5 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.

    64%

    England 62%

    Close to England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    54%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

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

    20%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    31%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 9 schools that have one.

89%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding1
  • Good7
  • Requires improvement1
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

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

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%65%80%20182019202320242025
64% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap0%25%50%2018201920222023202420252026
38% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
20% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Spennymoor has 15 schools and nurseries.

There are 22% more pupils than in 2018.

31% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Spennymoor's state schools each January.

Up 22% 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.

Spennymoor31%

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 Spennymoor

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 Spennymoor

How many schools are in Spennymoor?

Spennymoor has 15 schools, including 7 primary schools, 3 secondary schools, 5 nurseries, 2 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Spennymoor?

The highest-ranked schools in Spennymoor on Eduscope are Tudhoe Colliery Primary School, Rosa Street Primary and Nursery Academy, St Charles' Catholic Primary School, Tudhoe. 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 Spennymoor are rated Good or Outstanding?

89% of inspected schools in Spennymoor hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 1 school rated Outstanding and 7 rated Good.

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

Across primary schools in Spennymoor, 64% 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 Spennymoor?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Spennymoor is 17.7:1. 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 Spennymoor schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Spennymoor is 20.1%. 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 Spennymoor?

There are 3,336 pupils enrolled across schools in Spennymoor, with 1,836 in primary and 1,409 in secondary. 36.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Spennymoor?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 15 schools in Spennymoor 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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