David Orme's secondary education was at Bede School in Sunderland, which he left in 1970 to attend the Sunderland Polytechnic School of Pharmacy for a year. He then transferred to the Sunderland Polytechnic Department of Education, where he graduated in 1975 with a BEd in Biology, Sociology, Philosophy and Remedial Education.

His first appointment was in 1975 to the Harton Comprehensive where he taught Biology and Chemistry.

He left at the end of 1977, but it is not recorded where he went (although possibly to get married)