UTC South Durham

UTC South Durham is performing well overall, rated as 'Good' across all inspection areas. The school provides a professional and supportive environment where pupils are well-prepared for their future careers, particularly through regular engagement with local employers and a strong focus on STEM education. Many students transition to high-level apprenticeships, highlighting the effective vocational training offered. The school's leadership is committed to ensuring all pupils succeed, especially those with challenging educational backgrounds. However, there are some weaknesses in assessment practices and teaching adaptations that need to be addressed to improve student progress further.

Strengths

• Pupils are career and life ready, benefiting from strong employer engagement.
• The school has high-quality resources for engineering and technical qualifications.
• Leaders have a clear vision and are committed to the school's purpose.
• Pupils demonstrate respectful and professional behaviour.
• Attendance and positive behaviour among pupils are notably high.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment systems are not used effectively by all staff, leading to missed gaps in learning.
• Teaching is not always sufficiently adapted for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Quality assurance systems lack precision and rigor.

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 UTC South Durham attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.9% 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, 4.7% of pupils at UTC South Durham were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 UTC South Durham had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.2% 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, 19.0% of pupils at UTC South Durham were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% 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 UTC South Durham received £9,805 and spent £9,922 for each of its 451 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £98,000 (-£217 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Newton Aycliffe · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is UTC South Durham's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for UTC South Durham is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was UTC South Durham last inspected by Ofsted?

UTC South Durham was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does UTC South Durham have?

UTC South Durham has 421 pupils on roll.

What age range does UTC South Durham cover?

UTC South Durham for pupils aged 14 to 19.

Where is UTC South Durham?

UTC South Durham is at Long Tens Way, Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 6AP.