Durham Academy

About Durham Academy

Durham Academy is a mixed state secondary school in County Durham, serving pupils from age 11 to 16 under headteacher Alison Jobling. It sits within a local authority that contains 35 secondary schools, of which five are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham, located 3.3 kilometres away. Among its local peers, Durham Academy ranks below Tanfield School, St Leonard's Catholic School, and The Academy at Shotton Hall, which are the top three performers in the area according to a composite ranking score. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection graded it as Requires Improvement, a rating that places it among the minority of schools in the authority that have not yet reached Good or Outstanding. With 396 pupils on roll, it is a relatively small secondary, and its non-religious character means it does not have a faith-based admissions criteria.

Academic outcomes at Durham Academy are not provided in the available data, so it is not possible to compare its Progress 8 score or KS2 SATs results against the local authority average of -0.21. The school's Ofsted rating of Requires Improvement indicates that inspectors found areas needing significant development, though the specific inspection report details are not included here. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score sits at -0.21, which is below the national average of zero, suggesting that many schools in County Durham face challenges in driving pupil progress. Without exam results or a Progress 8 figure for Durham Academy itself, parents should seek the school's most recent performance tables or request data directly from the school to understand how its pupils typically perform at GCSE level compared with peers in the area.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, tennis courts, astro turf, science labs, music rooms, and a library, as well as a chapel and sixth form centre despite its 11-16 age range. Sports provision covers netball, rowing, swimming, badminton, cross country, football, and gymnastics, while extracurricular clubs include Orchestra, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model UN, and Book Club. These offerings suggest a school that tries to provide a varied experience beyond the classroom. Given its Requires Improvement rating and smaller size, Durham Academy may suit families who value a close-knit setting and are prepared to engage actively with the school's improvement journey. Oversubscription data is not available, so parents should check directly with the local authority or the school for current admissions pressure.

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