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Welcome to Durham Sixth Form Centre

Welcome to Durham Sixth Form Centre. One of the most important decisions you will make is where you continue your education at post-16. We are delighted that you are considering joining Durham Sixth Form Centre. We are a diverse and vibrant community of over 1800 students, who have enrolled with us from over sixty different secondary schools from County Durham and further afield.With over 30 A Levels and almost 20 vocational qualifications, we have one of the broadest curriculum offers in the area. Our courses are delivered and led by specialist staff, who have expertise in working with 16-19 year olds and, as our results testify, we have an excellent track record of academic success. In addition to our broad curriculum, we offer a wide range of extra opportunities in order to develop our students’ skills and talents.

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Boarding Type

No Boarder

School Type

Sixth Form

Suitable Ages

16 to 19

Gender

Mixed

No. of Students

1,708 Total

No. of Boys

655 (38.3%)

No. of Girls

1,053 (61.7%)




Exciting Updates Ahead!

We're currently gearing up to offer you a full list of our courses. Stay tuned — amazing learning opportunities are on their way very soon. Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm!


Exciting Events Ahead!

A detailed admissions process on ApplicaaOne is coming soon.

Please see our website for more information on our admissions process.


Admissions Process

Go to School Website
Sep 2025Oct 2025Nov 2025Dec 2025Jan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026Apr 2026

Applications

Open Evening

Open Evening

Key Dates & Deadlines

Oct 23, 2025

Open Evening

Feb 19, 2026

Open Evening

Apr 30, 2026

Application Deadline


Term Dates & Half-Term Holidays

Planning ahead for school holidays? Below are the term dates and half-term dates for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Autumn

1 terms

Half Term 1

Sep 1 - Oct 24

Spring

1 terms

Half Term 1

Jan 5 - Feb 20

Summer

2 terms

Half Term 1

Apr 20 - May 1

Half Term 2

Jun 1 - Jul 20

Half-Term & Holiday Dates

Autumn Half Term

Oct 27 - Oct 31

Christmas

Dec 20 - Jan 5

Spring Half Term

Feb 21 - Mar 2

Easter

Apr 2 - Apr 20

May Day

May 1 - May 5

Summer Half Term

May 22 - Jun 1

Summer

Jul 20 - Sep 1


Alumni Stories

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Steph Houghton

September 2005

Employed

Houghton started at Sunderland, before moving on to Leeds Carnegie in 2007, where she won the FA
Women's Premier League Cup. In 2010, she joined Arsenal Ladies, where she won the FA WSL on two
occasions and is a two-time winner of the FA Women's Cup and three-time winner of the FA WSL
Cup. She broke into the Sunderland team as a striker before moving back into midfield and later into
defence.

Matt Baker

September 2000

Employed

Matt talked about how he was given valuable career advice, which, in his opinion, set him on the path
he has found himself on today. With the support of his teachers, Matt was able to re-asses the A
Levels he was doing, and benefited from this when he went on to audition for drama school.

Matt described his teachers at Durham Sixth Form Centre as being "really influential in helping me
make a life-changing decision." He went on to add "If it wasn't for Grease and swapping my A Levels, I
wouldn't be doing what I am today."

David Gartland

September 2000

Employed

I started at Durham Sixth Form Centre without really knowing where or what I wanted to do with my
life. From day one, my Personal Tutor, James O'Leary, took a real interest in helping me get my GCSE's
(which I didn't get from school) and then encouraged me to progress onto A levels. After three years
of continual support and encouragement, I had the confidence to go onto University - something
that I had never considered throughout my school life. My subject teachers, particularly Norman
Ferguson, my sports teacher, was always supportive and more than happy to tell me when I wasn't
doing as well as I should be and what I had to do to improve.


Enrichment Activities

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At Durham Sixth Form Centre, we believe that education extends far beyond the classroom. Enrichment activities play a vital role in shaping well-rounded individuals by offering a balanced and culturally enriching education that deepens students' learning experiences. Engaging in these activities not only fosters personal growth but also empowers students to explore a broad range of skills, interests, and passions that support both their academic and professional development. Through enrichment, students gain valuable experiences that enhance their unique qualities, strengthening their CVs and future applications to stand out when applying for higher education or employment.

Art Club
Badminton Club
Basketball Club
Board Game Club
Chess Club
Classics Society
Debate Class
Fashion Club
Film Society
Film Production Society
Games Club
History Club
Student School Newsletter (The Torch) Group
Karaoke Club
Latin Club
MEDSoc (Medicine Society)
Music Club
Musical Theatre Society
Mythology Society
Netball Club
Pottery Club
Pride Society
Project Euler
Roll for Charisma (D&D Club)
Stitchcraft
The Big Questions in Life

About School

RegionNorth East
Local AuthorityCounty Durham
Ofsted Rating
Gender TypeMixed