The Duchess's Community High School

About The Duchess's Community High School

The Duchess's Community High School is an academy converter in Alnwick, Northumberland, England, for pupils aged 11–18. It has 1,341 pupils on roll. It is part of PELE TRUST. Its most recent Ofsted inspection (19 October 2021) rated it Requires Improvement. At GCSE, pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 41.3 (2025/26). 17% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.3% have English as an additional language.

School Information

Local Authority

Northumberland →

School Type

Academy converter

Phase

Secondary

Age Range

Ages 11–18

Gender

Mixed

Pupils / Capacity

1,341 / 1,651 (81%)

Sixth Form

Has a sixth form

Nursery

No Nursery Classes

Religious Character

Does not apply

Admissions Policy

Non-selective

Last Ofsted Inspection

19 October 2021

Who attends this school — useful context if you’re considering teaching here.

Source: DfE School Census, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Official Department for Education results, pupil destinations and attendance.

Progress 8 isn’t published for this year group: their Key Stage 2 baseline (2021 SATs) was cancelled during the pandemic, so a progress measure can’t be calculated. GCSE figures are provisional and may be revised.

Source: Department for Education performance tables, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Some independent schools’ qualifications (e.g. IGCSEs) are not all reflected in these figures.

Staffing at this school, with the trend over recent years — useful if you’re considering working here.

Data for the 2024/25 academic year (trend lines show 1 years). Source: DfE School Workforce Census, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. State-funded schools only.

How this school is funded and where the money goes — per pupil.

Source: DfE school finance returns (CFR for council-maintained schools, AAR for academies), 2024-25, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Per-pupil figures are calculated from total income/expenditure.

Contact Details

Address

Taylor Drive, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 2DH

Phone

01665602166

Headteacher

James Wilson

Website

http://www.dchs-alnwick.org/

Academy Trust

Frequently asked questions

What type of school is The Duchess's Community High School?

The Duchess's Community High School is an academy converter in Alnwick, Northumberland, England, for pupils aged 11–18.

How many pupils does The Duchess's Community High School have?

The Duchess's Community High School has 1,341 pupils on roll, according to Department for Education data.

What is The Duchess's Community High School's Ofsted rating?

The Duchess's Community High School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection (19 October 2021).

How does The Duchess's Community High School perform at GCSE?

Pupils at The Duchess's Community High School achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 41.3 in 2025/26.

Is The Duchess's Community High School part of an academy trust?

Yes — The Duchess's Community High School is part of PELE TRUST.

Where is The Duchess's Community High School?

The Duchess's Community High School is located at Taylor Drive, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 2DH.