New performance figures show that a whole host of secondary schools right across the North East are soaring well above the national average.
Last week, the Department for Education released its new preliminary key stage 4 performance data for state-funded secondary schools across England - meaning the highest performing schools of the 2024/25 academic year can now be named. This year, the default metric schools are sorted by is their Attainment 8 score - a purely performance-based figure derived from learners’ results in up to eight GCSE subjects - rather than the improvement-based Progress 8 score, due to pandemic disruptions this most recent cohort faced.
With the secondary school application deadline for next year’s new starters racing towards us, we’ve created a league table of the highest-achieving state secondary schools across the North East’s major council areas, based on their Attainment 8 scores for 2025. These can reach a maximum of 90, and the national average this year was 45.9.
But as we all know, GCSE grades are far from the only indicator that a school is a great place to learn. That’s why we’ve also made sure each one on our list had a positive mark in its latest Ofsted inspection. These are set to change shortly, but for now, we’ve only included schools with either a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ overall grade before last September, or positive ratings across all categories if they’ve been inspected since. This means that quality of education, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management, and safeguarding practices all met or exceeded official standards.
Here were the 28 schools from across the North East which came out on top:
1. Emmanuel College
At the top of the list is Emmanuel College, a secondary school in Gateshead, and one of the last city technology colleges in England. In a recent Ofsted inspection, it was found to be ‘outstanding’ in all categories. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 60 – compared to a local average of 46.9, and a national average of 45.9. | Google
2. St Mary's Catholic School
St Mary’s is a Catholic secondary academy in Newcastle, most recently rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 58.9 – compared to a local average of 43.8, and a national average of 45.9. | Google
3. St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham
St Leonard’s is a Catholic secondary academy in Durham, which in a recent Ofsted inspection, was found to be ‘outstanding’ in all categories. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 57.5 – compared to a local average of 44, and a national average of 45.9. | Google
4. Tanfield School
This is a secondary academy in Stanley, County Durham, which in a recent Ofsted inspection, was found to be ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in all categories. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 57.4 – compared to a local average of 44, and a national average of 45.9. | Google