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 480 pupils in the Senior School, 130 of whom are girls and 80 of whom are boarders. There are 140 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 Durham 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
National Schools' Biathlon semi-final
Sunday, 05 February 2012
More forthcoming events.
recent news
‘Six Weeks’ talk by Historian & Author John Lewis-Stempel
Friday 2 March at 7 p.m.
Read more recent news.
photo gallery
See more photos of the senior school in the photo gallery.
Testimonials
"My time at Durham School has been nothing short of fantastic and the experiences I have gained will undoubtedly have given me skills for life. My favourite aspect of the School has been the House system and having the honour to be Head of School House for my last year at school was something I will look back on for years to come."
Byung Choi
