Durham Sixth Form Centre, Durham
Durham Sixth Form Centre is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in Durham, part of Providence Learning Partnership.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Durham Sixth Form Centre in detail
Durham Sixth Form Centre in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Choosing where to take your next steps after Year 11 is a huge decision, and I’m delighted you’re looking at what we have to offer. What makes Durham Sixth Form Centre unique is our size and our focus."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include netball, basketball, badminton, yoga, dance, chess, STEM, film, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
The trust
Durham Sixth Form Centre is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 776 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 61% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 17% into work. 21% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
13.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 78 pupils (4.5%) received SEN support and 8 (0.5%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Durham Rail Station, about 550 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Freemans Place Coach Park (ne-bound), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Durham Sixth Form Centre stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Durham Sixth Form Centre recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Durham Sixth Form Centre has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in November 2023. Before that, as Durham Sixth Form Centre (URN 114310), it was rated Outstanding in March 2017.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Durham Sixth Form Centre excels at preparing students for their futures through expert teaching, ambitious course content tailored to regional job markets, and excellent careers guidance. Students achieve very highly in their qualifications and benefit from regular encounters with the world of work through guest speakers, workplace visits and internships. The school creates a safe environment where students feel secure and staff are well-trained to support their wellbeing.
Key Strengths
- Highly ambitious and broad curriculum designed with input from employers and universities to reflect real career opportunities
- Expert teachers who combine subject knowledge with excellent teaching strategies and keep up-to-date through professional development and work placements
- Outstanding student progress and achievement, with most students progressing to higher education or higher-level apprenticeships
- Strong careers guidance provided by specialist advisers with helpful tutorials and events on university, apprenticeships and employment
- Effective safeguarding culture with swift responses to issues and regular staff training on local risks
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - leaders have established a strong culture of safety, staff receive frequent training including on local risks, and experienced staff respond swiftly to issues while engaging with external agencies.
Extracurricular Activities
Extended project qualification, workplace visits, guest speakers from specialist industries, tutorials on knife crime and healthy relationships, work placements
Durham Sixth Form Centre is a well-established 16 to 19 academy with around 1,700 students, offering 30 A levels, 17 applied general qualifications, and a foundation diploma in art and design. Ofsted found significant progress across all monitoring themes during this visit in November 2024.
About
Durham Sixth Form Centre is a mixed sixth form college located in Durham, County Durham, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
13.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
B
Average grade
39.8
Points per entry
B
Best 3 A-Levels
23%
Achieving AAB+
Average
Value added
651
A-Level students
97%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
+ 10 more subjects
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 776 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
21%
Top-third university
69%
Degree course
74%
Any L4+ destination
3%
Apprenticeships
Based on 881 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from Durham Sixth Form Centre
Vietnam Trip
17 Sep 2026
Freshers Fair 2026
17 Sep 2026
Enrichment Fair
17 Sep 2026
Humanities Enrichment
17 Sep 2026
Poetry by Heart Competition 2026
17 Sep 2026
English Literature Lecture
9 Sep 2026
From Durham Sixth Form Centre's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Durham Sixth Form Centre
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 24 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
87%
Available places
1,747 pupils
2,000 places
253 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Durham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Durham
Across County Durham council
Places available
5,720
Applications
4,986
Got 1st preference
94.2%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
78
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
4.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,747
Total Pupils
663
Boys
1,084
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
90
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,141
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Durham Sixth Form Centre
What is Durham Sixth Form Centre's Ofsted rating?
Durham Sixth Form Centre has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in November 2023. Before that, as Durham Sixth Form Centre (URN 114310), it was rated Outstanding in March 2017.
What is the catchment area for Durham Sixth Form Centre?
No fixed boundary. When Durham Sixth Form Centre is oversubscribed, County Durham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How big are the classes at Durham Sixth Form Centre?
Classes at Durham Sixth Form Centre average 20.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Durham Sixth Form Centre?
Durham Sixth Form Centre has around 1747 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Durham Sixth Form Centre?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming Durham Sixth Form Centre on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Durham Sixth Form Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 24 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Durham Sixth Form Centre?
Durham Sixth Form Centre is at Providence Row, The Sands, Durham, County Durham, DH1 1SG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)