Secondary school

The Duchess's Community High School

  • Academy Converter
  • ages 11–18
  • Mixed
  • Northumberland
  • NE66 2DH
  • Sixth form
Ofsted Requires improvement · inspected Oct 2021

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Results · 2024/25

Ranked 2,086 of 3,280 secondaries in England · top 64%

Top % in England, by year
2015/16: top 58%58%2016/17: top 40%40% · 2016/172017/18: top 68%2018/19: top 60%2021/22: top 63%2022/23: top 69%2023/24: top 65%2024/25: top 64%No exams

A-level results

#49 of 72 North East sixth forms, state and independent, 2024/25

Independent and selective (grammar) schools choose their pupils, so high results partly reflect who gets in, not only teaching. Some independent schools don't publish results.

Against North East

Attainment 843.2 · North East 45.24/10 Below
Grade 5+ English and maths37.5% · North East 43.7%4/10 Below−10.4 pts since 21/22
EBacc point score3.62 · North East 3.934/10 Below−5.6 pts since 21/22
Progress 8 · 2023/24-0.26 · North East −0.215/10 Middle+8.8 pts since 18/19
A level points per entry31.81 · North East 33.34/10 Below+9.5 pts since 21/22
Show exam results by year

No exams 2019/20–21

Attainment 8
2015/16: 49.1 · 237 pupils · North East 49.42016/17: 47.8 · 248 pupils · North East 45.12017/18: 42.7 · 248 pupils · North East 44.92018/19: 44.3 · 232 pupils · North East 45.52021/22: 45.8 · 261 pupils · North East 48.42022/23: 42.2 · 234 pupils · North East 45.32023/24: 42.7 · 259 pupils · North East 44.652024/25: 43.2 · 253 pupils · North East 45.249.142.2No exams
Grade 5+ English and maths
2016/17: 52% · 248 pupils · North East 36%2017/18: 39% · 248 pupils · North East 39%2018/19: 41% · 232 pupils · North East 38%2021/22: 45% · 261 pupils · North East 47%2022/23: 38% · 234 pupils · North East 41%2023/24: 34% · 259 pupils · North East 42.5%2024/25: 37.5% · 253 pupils · North East 43.7%52%34%No exams
A level points per entry
2015/16: 30.78 · 160 pupils · North East 29.922016/17: 30.24 · 142 pupils · North East 30.512017/18: 32.05 · 126 pupils · North East 31.342018/19: 31.23 · 136 pupils · North East 32.232021/22: 34.62 · 114 pupils · North East 37.032022/23: 31.75 · 93 pupils · North East 33.292023/24: 33.32 · 123 pupils · North East 33.322024/25: 31.81 · 84 pupils · North East 33.334.6230.24No exams

Getting in · 2026

First-choice families who got in99.5%
188 of 189 who put it first2019 · 100.0%2026 · 99.5%
By preference
ChoiceAppliedOffered
1st189188
2nd70
3rd10

No last distance offered published

Inspections · 2007–2022

  1. 2007Goodas predecessor
  2. 2012Goodas predecessor
  3. 2017Ungraded visitas predecessor
  4. 2021Requires improvementas predecessor
  5. 2022Ungraded visitas predecessor

0 strong areas

5 weak areas

  • Personal development
  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Sixth form provision
  • Effectiveness of leadership and management

5 areas graded · safeguarding effective · inspected as predecessor

Pupils · 2024/25

On roll · Jan 20261,276
Free school meals (past 6 years)18.4%
First language not English2.2%
SEN support13.6%
EHC plan3.9%
Absence (sessions missed)9.9%
Persistently absent pupils29.3%

Girls 49.9%Boys 50.1%

77.3% full · 1,651 places · 241 in sixth form

Parent View

Not published for this school

Workforce · 2025/26

Pupils per teacher16.3
Pupils per adult11.5
  • Classroom teachers 72.6
  • Leadership 5.9
  • Teaching assistants 27.1
  • Other support 23.4

Teachers 78.5 FTE · Whole workforce 129 · 148 people

Financials · 2024/25

Income per pupil£8,276
Spend per pupil£8,338
Staff spend per pupil£6,241
Reserve per pupil−£33
  • −£44,000revenue reserve
  • −£84,000in-year balance

Grants £7,869 · self-generated £400 · premises £451 per pupil

Multi-academy trust: PELE TRUST (14 academies) · trust reserve £4,444,000 · Reserves in a multi-academy trust belong to the trust; this academy's figures include the share of central costs the trust gives it

Destinations · 2023/24 leavers

After Year 11

259 students, followed through 2024/25 · Provisional

  • Sustained91.9%
  • Education81.5%
  • Apprenticeship3.9%
  • Employment6.6%
  • Not sustained5%
  • Unknown3.1%

After sixth form (16–18)

150 students, followed through 2024/25 · Provisional

  • Sustained88.7%
  • Education51.3%
  • Higher education46%
  • Apprenticeship6.7%
  • Employment30.7%
  • Not sustained7.3%
  • Unknown4%