St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham

St Leonard's Catholic School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form. It is in Durham, County Durham, England.

1. History

The school was established in 1936 as the St Leonard's Catholic Central School in the former Springwell Hall, a coalmine owner's house acquired in 1935 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. During the era of the tripartite system, the school became a secondary modern and turned comprehensive in 1970 when the system was abolished by the LEA. The sixth form was opened that same year. Previously a voluntary aided school administered by Durham County Council, in November 2016 St Leonard's Catholic School converted to academy status. The school is now a part of the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust.

1. Sunday Times Award - 2026 School of the Year

In December 2025 the school was awarded all three Sunday Times Parent Power Awards for the Northeast, these being: School of the Year, Comprehensive School of the Year and School of the Year for Academic Excellence.

1. History

The school takes its name from St Leonard as in medieval times there was a chapel and hospital dedicated to St Leonard was located in this part of Durham. The school is the only secondary school in England dedicated to St Leonard. The school was opened in 1936 in a former coalmine-owner's house 'Mount Beulah', latterly known as Springwell Hall.

1. Ofsted judgements

The school was judged Outstanding in all 5 areas of the Ofsted Framework in 2024. Previously the school had been judged Good by Ofsted in 2019.

1. Sport

The school has a rowing club, the St Leonard's School Boat Club.

1. Notable former pupils

Stephen Cantwell (born 1996), cricketer Elliot Embleton, footballer Paddy and Martin McAloon, founders of the pop group Prefab Sprout Jessica Eddie, Olympic medal-winning rower

1. Sources


1. External links

St Leonard's School website School history BBC: League tables

Nearby Places View Menu

County Hall, Durham

County Hall is a municipal building at Aykley Heads in Durham, County Durham, England. It is the headquarters of Durham County Council.

Government

The Light, Durham

The Light is a proposed cultural venue at Aykley Heads in Durham, England.

Art Landmark

Framwelgate

Framwelgate (or Framwellgate) is an area of Durham, County Durham, England. It is adjoined by Crossgate, North End, Framwellgate Moor and the River Wear. The origin of the place-name is from the Old English words fram and wella together with the Old Norse gata and means street by the strongly gushing spring. It appears as Framwelgat in 1352. The 'Borough of Framwelgate' grew up following the construction of Framwellgate Bridge over the River Wear by Bishop Flambard in 1121. The roads Millburngate and Framwelgate became part the main route between Durham and the North. The area was home to wealthy Durham merchants and artisans until the 17th century. By the 19th century much of the area had developed into slum housing with coal mining occurring to the north of Framwelgate. These houses were demolished during the 1930s and residents moved to the newly built Sherburn Road Estate in Gilesgate. Framwelgate is believed to have been named from a well at the head of the old street. This was connected to a pant in the Market Place. An honorary Pant Master continues to be appointed to this day. Above the well the road continues as Framwellgate Peth. Framwelgate Peth continues towards Dryburn, Durham's place of execution until the construction of Durham Gaol. Saint John Boste was executed here in 1594 for being a Roman Catholic priest. While name Dryburn is popularly claimed to derive from a stream that dried up following the execution of a Jesuit or a corruption of Tyburn (London's place of execution), Victor Watts has shown the name, deriving from the middle English for 'dry stream' was being used by at least the 14th century. A mediaeval leper hospital, St. Leonard's is believed to have been sited just south of Dryburn until its demolition in 1652/53. Framwellgate was formerly a township in the parish of Durham-St Oswald, in 1866 Framwellgate became a separate civil parish, on 1 April 1916 the parish was abolished to form Durham. In 1911 the parish had a population of 3235. Prior to the 1974 local government re-organisation the municipal borough covering central Durham was styled "The City of Durham and Framwelgate".

Historic Site Landmark

544 m

Durham police mast

The Durham police mast (officially the County Police Communications Tower) was a structure that stood in the city of Durham in northern England. It was designed by county architect J. L. Parnaby and structural engineer Ove Arup and Partners. It was erected in 1968 and stood 162 feet (49 m) tall, providing radio communications for Durham Constabulary. It was built to a tripod design in reinforced concrete to satisfy a requirement for a rigid mast that was slender enough to minimise impact on views of Durham Cathedral. The structure was dismantled in 2017 as part of a redevelopment of the police headquarters but was required, by a planning condition, to be re-erected. In 2022 Durham Constabulary applied for permission to dispose of the mast but this was denied by Durham County Council in February 2023.

Landmark Police