Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: David Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0Attainment 8, the average across eight GCSEs, is 42 at Willington’s secondaries, below both County Durham’s towns (47.2) and towns in England (45.9). 4 state-funded schools are located in Willington’s built-up area. Willington grades C− for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #47 of 52 in County Durham. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
Willington’s secondary results beat 28% of English towns; its primary results beat 24%. 56% of the town’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 60% across County Durham. Every school’s result ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
The primary figure: 3 primaries in the town, 214 pupils in results over three years. Willington has 1 secondary of its own with GCSE results, too few to judge on, so the secondary figure uses the 1 graded secondary in and within 3 km of the town (171 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.
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 Willington’s built-up area.
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 26% at Our Lady and St Thomas Catholic Primary School, Willington to 56% at Willington Primary School. Against schools with the same intake, Willington Primary School does best: 54% with 56% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 53%. 1 of 3 primaries are above the line.
| School | Free school meals | Result | Typical for that intake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willington Primary SchoolKS2 % | 56% | 54% | 53% | +1 |
| Our Lady and St Thomas Catholic Primary School, WillingtonKS2 % | 26% | 59% | 62% | −3 |
| St Stephen's Church of England Primary SchoolKS2 % | 32% | 56% | 60% | −4 |
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
County Durham Council handles applications for every state school in Willington, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
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. 2 of Willington’s 4 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. 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
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 1 school is at or over it.
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
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.
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.
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
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. 0 of Willington’s 4 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.
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advance Learning PartnershipParkside | 1 | 833 | C |
| Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education TrustOur Lady and St Thomas | 1 | 122 | C+ |
| County Durham CouncilSt Stephen's, Willington | 2 | 369 | CC |
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
The state secondary in Willington teaches 11 to 16. The nearest college is Bishop Auckland College, a further-education college 4.2 miles away.
| College | Distance |
|---|---|
| Bishop Auckland CollegeFurther-education college · DL14 6JZ | 4.2 mi |
| New College DurhamFurther-education college · DH1 5ES | 6.9 mi |
| Derwentside CollegeFurther-education college · DH8 5EE | 11.2 mi |
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Willington, 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% |
| … | |||||
| 446 | Sheringham Norfolk | C− | 57% | 44.6 | 34% |
| 447 | Woburn Sands Buckinghamshire | C− | 52% | 44.2 | 43% |
| 448 | Darfield South Yorkshire | C− | 58% | 41 | 38% |
| 449 | Headley Down and Headley Hampshire | C− | 49% | 44.2 | 46% |
| 450 | Willington County Durham | C− | 56% | 42 | 40% |
| 451 | Cam Gloucestershire | C− | 50% | 44.8 | 43% |
| 452 | Stokenchurch Buckinghamshire | C− | 56% | — | — |
| 453 | Upton West Yorkshire | C− | 52% | 44.7 | 41% |
| 454 | Minster (Thanet) Kent | C− | 58% | 41.4 | 36% |
| … | |||||
| 567 | Amble Northumberland | D− | 35% | 32.7 | 16% |
Coloured by School Grade.
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willington 4 schools | C− | 56% | 42 |
| Crook 3 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.3 mi | C | 60% | 42 |
| Billy Row 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.7 mi | B− | 62% | — |
| Spennymoor 11 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3.5 mi | C+ | 60% | 46.2 |
| Brandon 3 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3.7 mi | A− | 62% | 54.5 |
| Coundon and Leeholme 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.1 mi | C+ | 58% | 47.9 |
| New Brancepeth 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.2 mi | C | 61% | 39 |
| Bishop Auckland 15 schools · 4.2 mi | C− | 55% | 42.6 |
Brandon has the best-graded schools nearby (A−). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
Willington’s state schools earn a C− against schools across England: primary results beat 24% of towns in England; secondary results beat 28% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by County Durham council.
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Our Lady and St Thomas Catholic Primary School, Willington: 59% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
No. The state secondary teaches 11–16; students move at 16 to a college, a sixth form elsewhere or an apprenticeship.
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).
1 of 4 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
4 open state-funded schools are located in Willington’s built-up area: 3 primary, 1 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.