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| East Durham College | |
|---|---|
 East Durham College Houghall campus | |
| Address | |
 | |
Willerby Grove ,, SR8 2RN England | |
| Coordinates | 54°45′44″N1°21′00″W / 54.762256°N 1.349999°W /54.762256; -1.349999 |
| Information | |
| Established | 1999 |
| Local authority | North East England LSC (but situated inCounty Durham) |
| Department for Education URN | 131859Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Scott Bullock | Scott Bullock |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 16+ |
| Former names | Peterlee Grammar School, East Durham & Houghall Community College |
| Website | www |
East Durham College, formerly known asEast Durham & Houghall Community College, is acommunity college with campuses inPeterlee andHoughall, south-east ofDurham.
It has been rated "Good" by Ofsted for five consecutive inspections in 2008, 2014, 2018, 2021, and 2024.[1] In 2024, Suzanne Duncan, principal and chief executive of East Durham College, announced her retirement after 12 years at the school. Mrs Duncan was succeeded by Scott Bullock, who took over the role of principal and chief executive.[2]
East Durham College operates across three campuses, as well as providing workforce development within individual workplaces across the region.
TheHoughall campus is situated on theA177 (Stockton Road) to the south-east of Durham, nearShincliffe. The 478-acre campus includes extensive arable land, sports pitches, gardens, woodland, stables, an all-weather equine arena, small-animal care unit and working farm.
ThePeterlee campus is situated on Willerby Grove off the B1320 (Burnhope Way) in Peterlee, near theA19. Its facilities include a bistro restaurantThe Grove, two functionalbeauty and hair salons, recording studio, IT suites, sports centre and fitness suite, dance studio, theatre and a conference suite.
The college's third site is theTechnical Academy located on Peterlee's south west industrial estate.
The history of Houghall Farm dates back to 1260 when the manor at Houghall, plus attached lands, were granted to thePriory and Convent of Durham. Although some of the land was leased, most of the area was farmed by the monks themselves. Sheep were an important part of the farm at this time; crops such as oats and barley were also grown. The land was very marshy so fish farming took place in the many ponds and the rushes, which grew abundantly, were harvested for use in the cathedral, cloisters and castle.
The Priory let the farm in 1464 to Richard Rackett, and the tenancy remained with the Rackett family until thedissolution of the monasteries. Houghall was then sold toViscount Lisle, the tenant at that time being Clement Farrowe. The farm was returned to the Church (Dean and Chapter) in 1660.
A survey of the farm was carried out in 1794, and many of the fields had the same shape and the same name as they have today. The crops then grown were oats, barley, wheat, grass, clover and rape.
In 1836 Houghall and other land in the area was endowed toDurham University. In 1920Durham County Council then bought the farm to provide the site for an agricultural school and training farm.
The course of theRiver Wear has changed many times over the centuries, both through natural means and by design. A large area, which is now part of the farm, was once the river bed. The silt deposits left by the river have contributed greatly to the fertility of the farm.
The present college results from the merger in June 1999 of Durham College of Agriculture and Horticulture (also known as Houghall College) and East Durham Community College in Peterlee (known as PeterleeTertiary College in the 1980s and Peterlee College from 1989). The former town centre campus on Burnhope Way was originally Easington Technical College, and the campus at Howletch was originally Peterlee Grammar School.
In 2006, the college was given planning permission to build a new campus at Peterlee because the buildings at the two campuses did not meet requirements for access by disabled people. In September 2008 a new £36m college building was opened on the Howletch site; the old college was demolished to make way for further college buildings; the Burnhope Way building made way for a retail park. The college's new 220-seat theatre was named afterBerthold Lubetkin. In September 2013, the college opened Apollo Studio Academy, a newstudio school, on the Peterlee campus.
In 2024, the college became part of theDurham Learning Alliance withDurham University,Bishop Auckland College,New College Durham andDerwentside College.[3]
The college received outline planning permission for a major redevelopment of the Houghall campus in 2025, having been included in the UK government's FE Capital Transformation Fund in 2021. This is planned to include a two-storey teaching and learning block, a new lambing shed, and other improvements to landscaping around the site.[4]
The college runs a student athlete programme, providing health education to participants. The programme includes boxing, basketball, football and rugby, providing a variety of competitive opportunities (friendly, league, cup fixtures), but the major focus is on individual skill development as opposed to team organisation. The sports hall has 500 seats on the bleachers.
