“In this Place” is our ambitious development plan. It aims to improve our campus and deliver a dynamic, world-leading educational environment here in the North East of England. 

It seeks to widen opportunity and access through our bursary programme and provide an enriched curriculum and platform for all round educational success and help our pupils to develop Confidence for life. Respect for all.

Over the past five years, and thanks to the support of Old Dunelmians, parents, staff, pupils and other supporters, we have raised nearly £600,000 to support the Foundation.

This has been a phenomenal effort that has seen over 600 new donors join our cause.

Thank you to everyone who has made a difference through their generosity, and we look forward to working with you and others in the coming years.


Our vision

Durham Cathedral School Foundation changes the lives of young people in the North East of England by providing a high-quality education for boys and girls aged 3-18. As both a day and boarding school, we are uniquely placed to offer a wide range of educational and co-curricular opportunities to young people from Durham and beyond.

With over 600 years of educational heritage behind us, we are looking to the future and planning to develop new facilities and to extend our bursary programme enabling many more young people to gain confidence for life and respect for all.


The Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation Community

Each person’s connection to Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation is unique to them, but what we all have in common is a passion for Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation and its pupils, now and in the future.

The DCSF community is a thriving network of pupils, parents, ODs and other friends of the Foundation that come together to support each other, current pupils and future generations of Dunelmians. Whether you are a parent at a Friends’ BBQ, an OD coaching a cricket side, or a 6th Former sharing your love of science with a pupil at Bow, everyone has a role to play to inspire our pupils.


Developing our facilities and programmes

Critically, we need the support of everyone in our community to help to develop both our facilities, and to help us open the doors of the Foundation by providing bursaries to those who would benefit from a Durham education but cannot afford to take their place here.

We are here today as a school because of people like you. With our vision for the future our goals are clear. By supporting the Foundation, you are part of a philanthropic community helping to deliver a world class education in the heart of the North East of England.


Giving more than money…

We are looking for ODs, parents (past and present) and friends of Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation who are willing to share their experiences of professional life to help other ODs and present pupils.

We will also be building up a peer-to-peer professional network for all members of our community – we want to bring together industry sectors and disciplines and meet regularly to share ideas, make contacts, facilitate career development, and create business opportunities.