Primary schools1 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0B+School Grade
Schools in Sacriston · DfE, Ofsted
Sacriston’s state schools get better results than 66% of towns in England
Sacriston’s secondaries average an Attainment 8 score of 48.9 across eight GCSEs, above both County Durham’s towns (47.2) and towns in England (45.9). 1 state-funded school is located in Sacriston’s built-up area. Sacriston grades B+ for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #21 of 52 in County Durham. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
1
1 primary, 0 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
64%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
48.9
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
47%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about Sacriston’s schools
Sacriston beats its intake
Schools with more pupils on free school meals usually get lower results. At Sacriston Academy, 43% of pupils are on free school meals and 70% meet the expected standard; a typical school in England with that intake reaches 57%. Results and intake ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
Sacriston grades B+ for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (64% meet the standard)Better than 62% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (48.9 and 47%)Better than 63% of towns in England
Sacriston has 1 primary of its own with KS2 results, too few to judge on, so the primary figure uses the 8 graded primaries in and within 3 km of the town (552 pupils in results). Sacriston has no secondaries of its own with GCSE results, so the secondary figure uses the 1 graded secondary in and within 3 km of the town (218 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Sacriston’s state school is
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Sacriston’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondarySpecial, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Getting a place
How school places work in Sacriston
County Durham Council handles applications for every state school in Sacriston, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
The schools
1 state school in Sacriston
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Sacriston’s schoolsA 0B 1C 0D 0
Village schools near Sacriston2 · outside any built-up area; Sacriston is the nearest town
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of Sacriston’s 1 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance | Early years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacriston AcademyJune 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard |
Towns its size
162nd of 471 English towns of 4,000 to 7,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Sacriston, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | A+ | 83% | 78.4 | 99% |
| … | |||||
| 158 | Culcheth Cheshire | B+ | 66% | 46.8 | 44% |
| 159 | Crawley Down West Sussex | B+ | 63% | 49.4 | 50% |
| 160 | Bishop's Waltham Hampshire | B+ | 62% | 51.6 | 49% |
| 161 | Middleton Cheney Northamptonshire | B+ | 61% | 50.2 | 54% |
| 162 | Sacriston County Durham | B+ | 64% | 48.9 | 47% |
| 163 | Waterbeach Cambridgeshire | B+ | 60% | 52.9 | 57% |
| 164 | Whitburn Tyne and Wear | B+ | 68% | 45.2 | 43% |
| 165 | Long Ashton Somerset | B+ | 79% | 42.7 | 38% |
| 166 | Lofthouse and Robin Hood West Yorkshire | B+ | 64% | 46.6 | 48% |
| … | |||||
| 471 | Amble Northumberland | D− | 35% | 32.7 | 16% |
Neighbours
Sacriston and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
Witton GilbertLangley ParkWhitehillUshaw Moor and BearparkChester-le-StreetNewfieldBurnhopeSacriston
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacriston 1 school | B+ | 64% | 48.9 |
| Witton Gilbert 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 0.8 mi | C+ | 58% | 46.8 |
| Langley Park 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.5 mi | D | 56% | 39 |
| Whitehill 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.7 mi | B+ | 65% | 48.2 |
| Ushaw Moor and Bearpark 4 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.8 mi | B− | 50% | 52.8 |
| Chester-le-Street 8 schools · 3 mi | A− | 74% | 48.2 |
| Newfield 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.2 mi | B+ | 64% | 50.1 |
| Burnhope 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.2 mi | B+ | 67% | 45.8 |
Chester-le-Street has the best-graded schools nearby (A−). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Sacriston: 8% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Sacriston
Are schools in Sacriston good?
Sacriston’s state schools earn a B+ against schools across England: primary results beat 62% of towns in England; secondary results beat 63% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by County Durham council.
How do I apply for a school place in Sacriston?
Through County Durham Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many state schools are in Sacriston?
1 open state-funded school is located in Sacriston’s built-up area: 1 primary, 0 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.