Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation, Quarryheads Lane, DH1 4SZ
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 3 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Headteacher
- Dr Michael Alderson
- Religious ethos
- Church of England
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- City of Durham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 847
- Pupils on roll
- 661
- URN
- 114331
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01917319270
About this school
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation is an independent school in County Durham. It teaches children aged 3 to 18 and has 661 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in January 1908, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 86 | 80 | 76 |
| Attainment 8 score | 34.8 | 33.0 | 31.6 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | County Durham average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 34.8 | 39.2 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 33 | 38 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 31.6 | 38.4 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 736 |
| 2023/24 | 760 |
| 2024/25 | 740 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 13
- Pupils on SEN support
- 141
Location
Nearby schools
-
University of Durham0.5 miles
Universities · Durham
-
Durham Trinity School & Sports College1.3 miles
Special schools · Durham
-
Strawberry Lane3.6 miles
Special schools · Bowburn
-
The Independent Grammar School:Durham4.7 miles
Independent schools · Esh Winning
-
The Grange Learning Centre5.2 miles
Special schools · Low Willington
Common questions
- What year groups does Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation teach?
- Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation teaches children aged 3 to 18. It is an independent school in County Durham.
- Who is the headteacher of Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation?
- The headteacher of Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation is Dr Michael Alderson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How big is Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation?
- Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation has 661 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 18.
- Is Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation full?
- Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation has capacity for 847 pupils and 661 on roll (78%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation a faith school?
- No. Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation has no designated religious character.
- How have Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 34.8 in 2022/23 and 31.6 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.