Park View School is a mainstream secondary school in Chester le Street, County Durham, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 44 of its 1,631 pupils (2.7%) were getting SEN support and 48 (2.9%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,631 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in County Durham.
2.7% get SEN support
44 of 1,631 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
Lower than the England average.
2.9% have an EHC plan
48 of 1,631 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health34
- Autism19
- Speech, language and communication12
- Moderate learning difficulty12
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,631 (places for 1,484)
- Headteacher
- Mr Andrew Finley
- Part of
- Park View Academy
- Free school meals
- 25.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- County Durham
- School reference (URN)
- 136971
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask County Durham council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, April 2025
Inspected in April 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Church Chare, Chester le Street, DH3 3QA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Chester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 0–11 · Ofsted report card (2025) 0.8 miles
- Oxclose Community Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 3.0 miles
- Columbia Grange School Special school · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 3.5 miles
- The Poplars Independent · Ages 8–18 · Ofsted: Good 3.6 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Cestria Primary School Primary · Ages 2–11 · SEN support 11.3%, EHC plans 1.2% 0.1 miles
- St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Chester-Le-Street Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 12%, EHC plans 1.4% 0.2 miles
- Red Rose Primary School Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 17%, EHC plans 3.4% 0.4 miles
All mainstream schools in County Durham SEND schools in County Durham
Questions about Park View School
How many pupils at Park View School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 44 of the 1,631 pupils (2.7%) were getting SEN support and 48 (2.9%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Park View School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (34 pupils), autism (19 pupils) and speech, language and communication needs (12 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Park View School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Park View School?
Through County Durham council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Park View School?
You can ask for Park View School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Park View School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Chester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School, about 0.8 miles away.
Where is Park View School?
Church Chare, Chester le Street, DH3 3QA, in County Durham.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.