Park View School

Park View School is performing strongly overall, with inspectors finding high expectations, a positive learning atmosphere and pupils who rise to the school’s challenge. Pupils behave calmly, understand expectations and show improved attitudes to learning, while a broad and engaging curriculum is delivered by knowledgeable teachers. The school is particularly strong in its support for pupils with SEND, its reading and careers provision, and its wide extra-curricular and personal development offer. The sixth form is a standout feature, with exceptional outcomes, diverse study routes, strong enrichment and national sporting success. The main area for improvement is the consistency of the school’s personal, social, health and economic education. Some planned sessions are not delivered with the same rigour, and a few pupils are uncertain about fundamental British values, indicating that key messages are not always securely embedded. Leaders also recognise that the progress of some pupils lags behind at times and are taking steps to address this. Safeguarding is effective, and trustees have a detailed knowledge of the school and provide appropriate support and challenge. The school is a large 11–18 secondary comprehensive and the only school in a single academy trust, which means the board of trustees also has responsibility for running the school. It currently uses three unregistered provisions.

Strengths

• High expectations help pupils achieve well and thrive in their studies.
• Pupils behave calmly and understand expectations in class and during social times.
• Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved over time with staff support.
• The sixth form delivers exceptional outcomes and a broad range of study routes.
• The sixth form’s academy of sport provides high-quality coaching and academic support.
• A wide extra-curricular offer includes acting, singing, board games and other activities.
• Staff understand pupils’ needs well, including those with SEND, and remove barriers to learning.
• The curriculum is diverse and brought to life by knowledgeable subject teachers.
• Careers guidance is individualised, unbiased and offers pupils a variety of next-step options.
• Daily reading opportunities are valued and pupils needing extra help become skilled readers quickly.
• Core values of care and respect help pupils become tolerant and socially aware.
• Personal development includes Active Starts, educational visits and a Combined Cadet Programme.
• Trustees have detailed knowledge of the school and offer support and challenge to leaders.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils’ progress lags behind at times, although leaders are taking steps to tackle this.
• Delivery of the PSHE programme is not consistently high quality across all planned sessions.
• Some pupils do not fully grasp key PSHE concepts, including fundamental British values.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Park View School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 6.1% of pupils at Park View School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 7 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Park View School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 2.7% of pupils at Park View School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Park View School received £7,807 and spent £7,748 for each of its 1,618 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £557,000 (£344 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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All schools in Chester Le Street · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Park View School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Park View School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Park View School last inspected by Ofsted?

Park View School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Park View School have?

Park View School has 1,631 pupils on roll.

What age range does Park View School cover?

Park View School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Park View School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.8, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Park View School?

Park View School is at Church Chare, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 3QA.