Durham High School
Same County Durham area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation, Quarryheads Lane, DH1 4SZ
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation is a private secondary-stage school in County Durham, County Durham, with a published age range of 3-18.
Private school Co-ed Ages 3-18 Sixth form Boarding school
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-18
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-18
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation joins two old institutions: Chorister School, founded in 1416, and Durham School, whose history reaches back to 1414. Since 2021 they have worked as one Foundation, giving children a route from nursery and chorister life into a senior school and Sixth Form with shared traditions, houses and pastoral links.
Music is a defining part of the younger route. Choristers can join Durham Cathedral Choir from age seven to thirteen while continuing classroom study, sport, drama and other activities. At Durham School, houses, chapel, rowing, sport, music, drama and societies shape the week, while boarding from age 11 through Sixth Form offers full, weekly, flexi and occasional arrangements across three houses.
The academic journey leads through GCSE and A levels with university guidance and a house system that keeps pastoral care visible. Entry assessments vary by stage: Year 7 uses English, mathematics, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, while Year 9 uses English and mathematics. Sixth-form applicants normally need five GCSEs at grade 6, including the relevant subject requirements.
Admissions are considered from Nursery through Sixth Form, with interviews and a school reference part of the later process. King's, Burkitt, art, music and sport awards sit alongside bursary support, giving different kinds of applicants a route into the Foundation.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 31.6 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 16.9% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with County Durham and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 31.6
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 3.47
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with County Durham and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 3-18
- Headteacher
- Dr Michael Alderson
- Pupil roll
- 661 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Boarding
- Boarding school
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation, Quarryheads Lane, Durham, County Durham
- Postcode
- DH1 4SZ
- Area
- County Durham
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Dr Michael Alderson
School contact
- School phone
- 01917319270
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions email
- reception@dcsf.org.uk
- Admissions phone
- 01917319270
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Day fees
- Check school fees page
- Boarding fees
- Check school fees page
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Check school site
- Entrance details
- Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
- Papers and stages
- 3 papers
- Format
- Mixed format
Papers and rounds
-
Paper 1
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
Year 7 (11+) entrance examinations
The Year 7 route uses English, Mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning entrance examinations.
-
Paper 2
English, Maths
Year 9 (13+) entrance examinations
The Year 9 route uses entrance examinations in English and Mathematics.
-
Paper 3
Other, Interview
Sixth Form entry for applicants not sitting GCSEs or IGCSEs
Applicants not sitting GCSEs or IGCSEs have age-appropriate assessments and an interview.
Published assessment components
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.
Published
-
English
-
Maths
-
Verbal reasoning
The Year 7 route uses English, Mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning entrance examinations.
-
Non-verbal reasoning
The Year 7 route uses English, Mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning entrance examinations.
-
Interview
Applicants not sitting GCSEs or IGCSEs have age-appropriate assessments and an interview.
Application
Application
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 31.6 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 3.47 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 16.9% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 35.94 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 27 January 2026
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2026 records an inspection beginning 27 January 2026. The report says the relevant standards were met.
Similar schools and comparisons
Similar schools and comparisons
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Shortlist comparisons
Explore this school in context
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Related pages and guides
Related pages and guides
Area and ranking pages
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation handle admissions?
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation?
Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.
What does the latest inspection picture look like for Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation?
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 27 January 2026.