Framwellgate School Durham

About Framwellgate School Durham

Framwellgate School Durham sits just above the local authority average for Progress 8, with a score of -0.05 compared to County Durham's average of -0.21 for secondary schools. That gap is modest but meaningful — it places the school 15th out of 31 schools in the area, putting it in the top half of its local peers. The picture is more mixed when you dig into the subjects. English pulls the school up with a Progress 8 score of +0.27, well above the LA average, while maths drags it down to -0.49, a significant underperformance. The school's Attainment 8 score of 48 is solid, and 64% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. Just under a quarter of students are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average, and the school is oversubscribed — 180 first-preference applications for 206 places, with 556 total applications.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024 judged it as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2021. The inspection found that quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement, but behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and the sixth-form provision were all rated Good. At A-level, the picture is more challenging: the school's value-added score is -0.31, which is below average, and the average points per entry grade is a C-. The best three A-levels average out at a C- grade too. Only 9.5% of students achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. The sixth form is small, with 66 pupils, and its progress banding is rated below average. For a school that is oversubscribed at Year 7, the sixth-form results suggest a dip in performance at the post-16 stage that parents should weigh carefully.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a sixth-form centre, science labs, art studios, an astro turf pitch, and a sports hall. Clubs and activities are a strong point — 95% of parents who responded to the Parent View survey agreed or strongly agreed that their child can take part in clubs and activities, with options including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, coding, debate, and gardening. SEND provision is a notable concern: only 60% of parents felt the school gives SEND children the support they need, with 36% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing. The school does list support for a broad range of needs including autism, dyslexia, and speech and language difficulties. With 23.9% of pupils on free school meals and an oversubscription ratio of 2.7, this is a popular school in the area that suits families who value a strong extracurricular offer and a sixth form on site, but who are comfortable with a school that is still working through leadership and maths performance issues.

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