Welcome to Durham Sixth Form Centre. One of the most important decisions you will make is where you continue your education at post-16. I am delighted that you are considering joining Durham Sixth Form Centre, the largest post-16 school in England. 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.

Ofsted Inspectors graded Durham Sixth Form Centre as ‘outstanding’ for overall effectiveness and in all categories, following a rigorous two-day inspection.

Inspectors commented:
‘The Headteacher and the highly skilled leadership team have established a culture in which students flourish and grow. Consequently, there is a healthy appetite for learning and achievement in an environment that demands high expectations for academic, vocational and personal excellence.’

We have also received recognition for our work in a number of other areas, including Investors in People: Gold, Artsmark Platinum, Science Mark: Gold, Investors in Careers and the Wellbeing Award for Schools. Further information about other accolades is included within this subject guide.

The vast majority of our students progress to university, whilst others achieve places on highly sought-after school leaver programmes and higher-level apprenticeships, and others enter into employment. Our award-winning Careers, Progression and Aspirations team continues to play an instrumental role in this success.

Our students work hard to succeed, they adapt quickly to their new working environment and benefit vastly from the pace and focus, preparing them for the next steps in their education and careers.