Durham Academy is a mixed secondary academy in Durham, Durham County Council, teaching 405 pupils aged 11 to 16. Ofsted graded achievement as Needs attention at its most recent inspection in January 2026. In 2024–2025, GCSE Attainment 8 was 37.4 (England 46.1). Its 2025–2026 calendar lists 14 holidays and 1 INSET days.

Ofsted inspection

The latest published Ofsted judgement for Durham Academy.

Latest inspection
2025 framework Graded by evaluation area
AchievementNeeds attention
Curriculum & teachingExpected standard
Attendance & behaviourStrong standard
Personal development & wellbeingExpected standard
InclusionStrong standard
Leadership & governanceExpected standard
Safeguarding Met
S5 Inspection · Inspected 20 Jan 2026 · Published 8 Mar 2026
Read full Ofsted report ↗

Scale: Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement

Term dates & holidays 2025–2026

Autumn, spring and summer terms, half-terms, INSET days and bank holidays for Durham Academy.

Durham Academy term dates calendar 2025–2026
Official term-dates calendar · 2025–2026 · source

Interactive Calendar

October 2025
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
  • 24 Autumn Half Term Ends
November 2025
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
  • 27 Inset Day
December 2025
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
  • 19 Christmas Holiday Begins
  • 19–31 Christmas Holiday (Approx. 2 weeks)
  • 25 Christmas Day
  • 26 Boxing Day
January 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
  • 1–2 Christmas Holiday (Approx. 2 weeks)
  • 1 New Year's Day
February 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
  • 20 Spring Half Term Ends
March 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
April 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
  • 2 Easter Holiday Begins
  • 2–16 Easter Holiday (Approx. 2 weeks)
  • 3 Good Friday
  • 6 Easter Monday
May 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
  • 1 May Day
  • 4 Early May Bank Holiday
  • 22 Summer Half Term Ends
  • 25 Spring Bank Holiday
June 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
July 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
  • 17 Summer Holiday Begins
  • 17–31 Summer Holiday (Approx. 6 weeks)
August 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
  • 1–31 Summer Holiday (Approx. 6 weeks)
  • 31 Summer Bank Holiday
September 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
  • 1 Summer Holiday (Approx. 6 weeks)

Key dates (2025–2026)

  • Autumn Half Term Ends Oct 24, 2025 Holiday
  • Inset Day Nov 27, 2025 Inset Day
  • Christmas Holiday Begins Dec 19, 2025 Holiday
  • Spring Half Term Ends Feb 20, 2026 Holiday
  • Easter Holiday Begins Apr 2, 2026 Holiday
  • May Day May 1, 2026 Event
  • Summer Half Term Ends May 22, 2026 Holiday
  • Summer Holiday Begins Jul 17, 2026 Holiday
  • Christmas Holiday (Approx. 2 weeks) Dec 19, 2025 - Jan 2, 2026 Holiday
  • Easter Holiday (Approx. 2 weeks) Apr 2, 2026 - Apr 16, 2026 Holiday
  • Summer Holiday (Approx. 6 weeks) Jul 17, 2026 - Sep 1, 2026 Holiday
  • New Year's Day Jan 1, 2026 Event
  • Good Friday Apr 3, 2026 Event
  • Easter Monday Apr 6, 2026 Holiday
  • Early May Bank Holiday May 4, 2026 Holiday
  • Spring Bank Holiday May 25, 2026 Holiday
  • Summer Bank Holiday Aug 31, 2026 Holiday
  • Christmas Day Dec 25, 2025 Holiday
  • Boxing Day Dec 26, 2025 Event

Exam results & performance

DfE performance tables Official results, 2024–2025 GOV.UK ↗
37.4 Attainment 8 England 46.1
22% Grade 5+ English & maths England 45.4%
34.1% Persistent absence England 17.8%

The measures that carry the most signal. Open a section to compare Durham Academy with Durham County Council and England.

Key stage 4 (GCSE) 37.4 Attainment 8 score

Year 11 results across eight qualifications, including English and maths.

This school Durham County Council England

Attainment 8 score · Average across 8 GCSEs, out of 90 37.4
Durham County Council 44.1 England 46.1 -8.7 vs England
Grade 5+ in English & maths · A strong pass 22%
Durham County Council 41.6% England 45.4% -23.4 vs England
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils 36.8
Durham County Council 35.6 England 34.9 +1.9 vs England
Disadvantage gap · Attainment 8 points; smaller is better 1.9
Durham County Council 12.5 England 15.5 -13.6 vs England
Disadvantaged pupils in the year group · Context for the scores above 70%
Durham County Council 31.9% England 28.2%
Pupils in the year group · Small cohorts swing wildly 50
Attendance 34.1% Persistently absent pupils

Absence across the whole school year.

This school Durham County Council England

Persistently absent pupils · Missed 10%+ of sessions; lower is better 34.1%
Durham County Council 18.8% England 17.8% +16.3 vs England
Overall absence · Lower is better 12.2%
Durham County Council 6.9% England 6.8% +5.4 vs England
What pupils do after GCSEs 76% In education, apprenticeship or work

Still in education, an apprenticeship or work a year after key stage 4.

This school Durham County Council England

In education, apprenticeship or work 76%
Durham County Council 89% England 92% -16 vs England
Same, for disadvantaged pupils 59%
Durham County Council 80% England 83% -24 vs England
About this data source & caveats

Progress 8 is not published for 2024–2025. This year group missed their key stage 2 tests in 2020, so there is no baseline to measure progress from.

Attendance comparisons are pupil-weighted averages we calculate from every school’s published absence figure — the DfE absence file has no local authority or England rows of its own.

We show the headline measures only. Threshold and curriculum-policy figures — grade 4+ in English and maths, EBacc entry and points, the per-subject key stage 2 breakdown, academic and applied splits at 16 to 18 — reflect admissions and curriculum choices more than school quality, so they are left to GOV.UK. Progress measures matter most because they compare pupils with others who started at the same level; attainment on its own largely tracks a school’s intake.

Figures are the Department for Education’s official published results for Durham Academy. Results are suppressed where too few pupils were entered. England figures are the average for state-funded schools. “Top x%” is this school’s position among all schools in England with a published figure for that measure — the DfE does not publish league table rankings.

Source: Compare school and college performance, Department for Education. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Location & catchment area

Indicative catchment Other secondary schools

Indicative only. This is a nearest-school (Voronoi) estimate — the area closer to Durham Academy than to any other secondary school. Real admissions depend on the school’s own policy (straight-line distance, siblings, faith, feeder schools and available places) and change each year. Always confirm with the school and local authority admissions team.