School profile

Wolsingham School

Secondary · Academy converter · Bishop Auckland, DL13 3DJ

Good

Map showing Wolsingham School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#735 of 3,312

Better than 77% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Wolsingham School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 21 Jan 2015

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils774
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Nick Mitchinson
TrustADVANCE LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Local authorityCounty Durham
Opened01 Sept 2020
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 148109.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolCounty DurhamEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.52, better than England, better than County Durham44.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.75.3%, better than England, better than County Durham62.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.52.7%, better than England, better than County Durham43%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.14.7%, similar to England, better than County Durham11.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths71.3%, better than England, better than County Durham58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4150--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils774
Girls382
Boys392
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.30.7%
First language not English1.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.750
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.176
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.32
Average class size24.8

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
94.6%
Other White
1.6%
Other mixed
0.9%
White and Asian
0.6%
Chinese
0.4%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0.3%
Gypsy/Roma
0.3%
White and Black African
0.3%
Other Asian
0.3%
Irish
0%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13
Teachers (FTE)43.6
Teaching assistants (FTE)4
Support staff (FTE)30.97
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2542.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2538.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.143
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.368
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.181
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.140
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolCounty DurhamEngland
Overall absence8.2%, similar to England, similar to County Durham8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.25.4%, worse than England, worse than County Durham23.1%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.3%, worse than England, worse than County Durham3.6%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0.5%
Permanent exclusions4

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.91.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.82.6%
Further education48.6%
School sixth form26.8%
Apprenticeship7.2%
Sixth form college6.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5.8%
Employment1.4%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Wolsingham School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.6 miPrimaryWolsingham Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Wolsingham School

What is Wolsingham School's Ofsted rating?

Wolsingham School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 21 Jan 2015.

How does Wolsingham School rank in England?

Wolsingham School ranks 735 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 77% of schools).

What are Wolsingham School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 52.7% of pupils at Wolsingham School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 52 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Wolsingham School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Wolsingham School made 143 offers from 368 applications (2.6 per offer), and 140 of 181 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Wolsingham School?

Wolsingham School has 774 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Wolsingham School?

Wolsingham School had 750 school places in 2024/25.

Does Wolsingham School have a sixth form?

No, Wolsingham School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Wolsingham School?

At Wolsingham School, the average class had 24.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Wolsingham School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Wolsingham School missed 8.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 25.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.