The Duchess's Community High School, based in Alnwick, provides secondary education, serving pupils aged 11 to 18. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
The Duchess's Community High School currently has around 1341 pupils on roll, which is about 81% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 50.1% boys and 49.9% girls. Around 18.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9.2%. Persistent absence is recorded at 27.8%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (93.5%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Requires Improvement. This means the school has areas that require improvement. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Taylor Drive, Alnwick, NE66 2DH |
| Website: | http://www.dchs-alnwick.org/ |
| Telephone: | 01665602166 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Northumberland |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr James Wilson |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 150196 |
Ofsted inspection date: 19/10/2021
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 18 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1651 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1341 |
| Number of Boys: | 672 |
| Number of Girls: | 669 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9.2% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 27.8% | 8.2% |
| White British | 93.50% | 1254 |
| Other White | 2.80% | 37 |
| Unclassified | 1.90% | 25 |
| White and Asian | 0.60% | 8 |
| Other Mixed | 0.40% | 6 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.30% | 4 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.20% | 3 |
| Other Asian | 0.10% | 2 |
| White and Black African | 0.10% | 1 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.10% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| African | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
| Indian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Paul's RC Voluntary Aided Primary School South Road , NE66 2NU | - not rated | 1,421 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Alnwick South Road , NE66 2NU | 3out of 4 | 1,421 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Swansfield Park Primary School The Avenue , NE66 1UL | - not rated | 1,425 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Swansfield Park Primary School The Avenue , NE66 1UL | 3out of 4 | 1,425 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School Howling Lane , NE66 1DJ | 3out of 4 | 2,183 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Duchess's Community High School Taylor Drive , NE66 2DH | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Duchess's Community High School Taylor Drive , NE66 2DH | 2out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alnwick Lindisfarne Middle School Lindisfarne Road , NE66 1AX | - not rated | 877 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Paul's RC Voluntary Aided Middle School South Road , NE66 2NU | - not rated | 1,400 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Alnwick the Dukes Middle School Hope House Lane , NE66 1UN | - not rated | 1,455 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Oswald's Independent School South Road , NE66 2NU | - not rated | 1,459 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Barndale School Howling Lane , NE66 1DQ | 3out of 4 | 2,234 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.