AllSchools UK School Database All Schools UK
Log in Create account
Resources
Back to best schools by authority

Best Primary schools in County Durham

Top 20 by latest Ofsted graded judgements (showing top 10 – Go Pro for full list)
Quick compare: Top 3 primary schools in County Durham
⚖️ Compare top 3 🔒 Download CSV (Pro) 🔒 Download Excel (Pro)
Unlock exact postcodes & dates, full Top 20 list, interactive map & CSV export with AllSchools Pro.

These rankings cover primary schools in the local authority of County Durham based on the most recent graded Ofsted inspections. We order by headline grade first, then by publication date; ties are broken using “Quality of education” (where available), then contextual signals.

Graded primary schools
20
Outstanding
11
Good
9
Median inspection year
2024

Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)

O: 55% · G: 45% · RI: 0% · I: 0%

Summary

Outstanding: 11 Good: 9 Requires improvement: 0 Inadequate: 0
Earliest inspection
Jan 2012 (exact date for Pro)
Latest inspection
Sep 2024 (exact date for Pro)

These rankings use each school’s latest graded Ofsted inspection. Ungraded visits do not replace the most recent graded judgement.

  • 1.
    Framwellgate Moor Primary School
    Primary • Community school • Durham • DH1 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Jun 2024 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 2.
    Kirk Merrington Primary School
    Primary • Community school • Spennymoor • DL16 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Apr 2024 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 3.
    Thornhill Primary School
    Primary • Community school • Shildon • DL4 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Mar 2023 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 4.
    Montalbo Nursery & Primary School
    Primary • Community school • Barnard Castle • DL12 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Mar 2023 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 5.
    West Cornforth Primary School
    Primary • Community school • Ferryhill • DL17 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Dec 2018 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 6.
    Sedgefield Hardwick Primary Academy
    Primary • Academy converter • Stockton-on-Tees • TS21 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Nov 2017 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 7.
    Sugar Hill Primary School
    Primary • Community school • Newton Aycliffe • DL5 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Oct 2017 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 8.
    St Michael's Church of England Primary School
    Primary • Academy converter • Ferryhill • DL17 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Oct 2017 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 9.
    Howden-le-Wear Primary School
    Primary • Academy converter • Crook • DL15 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Feb 2015 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 10.
    Witton-le-Wear Primary School
    Primary • Academy converter • Bishop Auckland • DL14 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on May 2013 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
Showing top 10 of 20. Go Pro to see the full list and unlock exact dates & full postcodes.
How we rank these schools
  1. Headline Ofsted grade orders: Outstanding (1), then Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
  2. More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
  3. Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
  4. We may consider contextual signals (e.g., %FSM, roll size) to break remaining ties.

Ungraded visits don’t replace the last graded judgement.

About Ofsted grades
  • Outstanding (1) — highest judgement across key areas.
  • Good (2) — consistently meets standards.
  • Requires improvement (3) — not yet good; clear areas to improve.
  • Inadequate (4) — significant weaknesses found.

Map of best schools

🔒 Interactive map is a Pro feature. Upgrade

Explore more primary rankings

Best by region Best by county Best by local authority Best by district Best by town Top 10 by region Top 10 by county Top 10 by authority Top 10 by district Top 10 by town

Unlock Full School Data — Advanced Search & Exports

Apply deep filters (phase, type, trust, region, town, postcode-area) and export clean CSV/Excel/PDF reports — all ad-free and ready for your analysis.

Advanced filters Full dataset access CSV & Excel export Ad-free browsing

Upgrade to Pro today and lock in today’s rate — all future tools included.

See Pro plans Create account

Built for professionals

All the data you need — export-ready for reports, dashboards and presentations.

  • Full dataset access: pupil counts, FSM %, inspection history & more.
  • Export tools: one-click CSV, Excel & PDF for immediate download.
  • Search & filter across: region, district, city, county, local authority, trust, school type, gender, religion—and combinations.
  • Refine by metrics: number of pupils, capacity, % FSM, postcode-area & more.
Compare / 3
Compare