About the Senior School

The Senior School offers day and boarding education and caters for girls and boys from the age of 11 to 18. It enjoys a uniquely beautiful location within sight and sound of Durham Cathedral and five minutes’ walk away from the city centre and the river. It is easily reached by road, rail and air.

We offer top quality independent education with a considerable degree of flexibility. Day pupils can enjoy breakfast and supper at the School and many other benefits normally associated with a boarding school. Although the majority of our pupils are day pupils, we also offer weekly boarding, full boarding and part-time boarding.

There are currently 434 pupils in the Senior School, 120 of whom are girls and 80 of whom are boarders. There are 120 pupils in the Sixth Form.

Each pupil belongs to one of 5 Houses - Caffinites, MacLeod, Pimlico, Poole and School. These Houses have their own separate geographical location within the School with their own excellent facilities for work and leisure and are regarded as a “home from home” by our pupils. Our vertical House system, crucial to the excellent pastoral care we offer, provides a single-sex haven within the co-educational community.

Within the past few years numbers have grown considerably and there has been (and continues to be) a significant programme of investment in new staff and improved facilities.

Recent improvements at the Senior School include:

• Construction of an all-weather hockey pitch in 2005.
• Opening of a second girls’ House (MacLeod) and the construction of a beautiful new 3-storey extension to the girls’ accommodation, providing significantly more space for all girls, both day girls and boarders.
• The full refurbishment of our girls' and boys' Houses.
• The opening of new conditioning and rowing training facilities, with equipment kindly donated by the Friends of the School.
• The conversion of the Library into an up-to-date ICT and Resources Room.
• Complete refurbishment of the Swimming Pool and the Luce Theatre and its facilities.

next event

CCF Summer Camp departs for Cornwall
Saturday, 05 July 2008

More forthcoming events.

recent news

Four Very Distinguished Retirees!
Celebration for nearly 100 years of service to the School

Read more recent news.

photo gallery

See more photos of the senior school in the photo gallery.

Testimonials

"The best thing my husband and I have ever done for our son was to send him to Durham School. Since he joined the school, it has become his life. He is extremely proud of his school and loves everything about it. He enjoys all his lessons and is now finding business studies at 6th form particularly fun and interesting. He gained 9 GCSEs which we were absolutely thrilled about, especially as my son has dyslexia. The teachers at Durham school have given my son so much confidence by constantly praising and believing in him, that he genuinely believes he can do anything with a bit of hard work. "
Mrs Jane Rich (son, Year 12)