Ferryhill School

  • Secondary
  • Academy
  • Ages 11 to 16
Ofsted: Good

Merrington Road, Ferryhill, DL17 8RWOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Ferryhill School is a secondary school in Ferryhill for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 271 schools in County Durham. It ranks 26th of 30 secondary schools in County Durham. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2014.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 19 November 2014, report published 11 December 2014

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 September 2022

Ferryhill School plays an important role in this community. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils. The 'Adventures' programme makes sure that pupils have access to exciting experiences, including a range of international travel. Many of the experiences are funded so that any pupil can take advantage of these opportunities. Pupils are encouraged to bid for funding to complete their own enterprise projects. Leaders are passionate about providing pupils with life experiences as well as a high-quality education. A number of pupils join Ferryhill School at different points during the school year. They join a positive and respectful community. Leaders ensure that these pupils are welcomed and helped to settle. Pupils who have joined from other schools thrive here. They believe that teachers listen to them and value their opinions. Pupils do not feel that bullying is a problem at this school. Pupils feel that they receive clear messages about how to treat other people. If bullying occurs, teachers take this very seriously. They act quickly to make sure it stops.

What the school should improve

  • Curriculum thinking is stronger in some subjects than in others. In some subject areas, leaders have not thought carefully enough about what the most important knowledge is that they want pupils to know. Leaders should ensure that all subject areas are planned precisely in this regard.
  • The quality assurance and monitoring systems for pupils with SEND could be strengthened further by involving all relevant stakeholders in the process. Leaders should ensure that robust systems are in place to assure themselves of the consistency of this provision across the school.

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

125 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score41.5

41.5, 4.6 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths24.8%

24.8%, 20.6 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths52%

52%, 12.8 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc31.2%

31.2%, 9.3 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score3.21

3.21, 0.88 below the England average of 4.09.

Pupil numbers and mix

727 pupils on roll, with places for 915

Eligible for free school meals50.1%

50.1%, 23.6 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language2.2%

2.2%, 19.4 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support21.5%

21.5%, 6.7 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.3%

3.3%, 2.7 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Ferryhill School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Whitworth Park Academy2 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 50.4
Woodham Academy4 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 48.2
King James I Academy Bishop Auckland4 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standardAttainment 8: 43.9
Greenfield Academy5 milesOfsted: Requires improvementAttainment 8: 35.7
Parkside Academy5 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 46.9

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
EDEN LEARNING TRUST
Age range
11 to 16
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
No
Headteacher
Mr Kevin Brennan
Address
Merrington Road, Ferryhill, DL17 8RW
Local authority
County Durham
URN
145253

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.