Teesdale School and Sixth Form

Teesdale School and Sixth Form continues to maintain its high standards, having been previously judged outstanding in June 2019. The school is characterized by a committed staff who uphold the vision of providing excellence every day, resulting in a positive educational environment for its pupils. The school fosters strong relationships between staff and students, which facilitates effective learning and personal growth among the pupils, helping them to achieve well in their public examinations. However, the school also recognizes the need to improve communication with parents to ensure they feel supported and informed regarding their children’s education and needs.

Strengths

• High expectations set by staff for student behavior and learning.
• Strong, positive relationships between pupils and staff.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Broad, well-delivered curriculum that engages students.
• Commitment to literacy, with effective reading support programs.
• Pupils show excellent manners and behave exceptionally well.
• High attendance rates among students.
• Robust personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum.
• Effective careers program providing insights into future education and employment.

Areas for Improvement

• Variable communication with parents regarding their child’s progress and needs.

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 Teesdale School and Sixth Form attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.4% 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, 6.7% of pupils at Teesdale School and Sixth Form were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Teesdale School and Sixth Form had 17.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.5% 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, 15.2% of pupils at Teesdale School and Sixth Form were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% 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 Teesdale School and Sixth Form received £8,060 and spent £7,891 for each of its 691 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £699,000 (-£1,011 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of North East Learning Trust, income was £8,623 and spending £8,502 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 Barnard Castle · County Durham local authority: places and applications

Teesdale School and Sixth Form is part of North East Learning Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Middleton-In-Teesdale Academy Barnard Castle
• Browney Primary Academy Browney
• Sacriston Academy Durham
• Hermitage Academy Chester Le Street
• The Academy at Shotton Hall Peterlee
• Easington Academy Peterlee
• Biddick Academy Washington
• Diamond Hall Junior Academy Sunderland
• Carville Academy Wallsend
• Rye Hills Academy Redcar

What is Teesdale School and Sixth Form's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Teesdale School and Sixth Form is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Teesdale School and Sixth Form last inspected by Ofsted?

Teesdale School and Sixth Form was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Teesdale School and Sixth Form have?

Teesdale School and Sixth Form has 684 pupils on roll.

What age range does Teesdale School and Sixth Form cover?

Teesdale School and Sixth Form for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Teesdale School and Sixth Form's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 57.0, and 66% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Teesdale School and Sixth Form?

Teesdale School and Sixth Form is at Prospect Place, Barnard Castle, DL12 8HH.