The Governing Body of Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation is committed to widening access to the benefits of a DCSF education through the provision of financial assistance with fees.
This assistance comes in the form of scholarships and or bursaries outlined below. The key criteria is that, for any consideration of a bursary award, pupils must first have been awarded a scholarship.
These academic awards are available to candidates applying at 11+ and 13+ for entry into Year 7 and Year 9.
The heritage of the King’s Scholarship dates back to 1541 and the reign of King Henry VIII. The King took a personal interest in the continuation of Durham School following the Reformation, and records show that the Crown paid an annual grant for the education of King’s Scholars at Durham School.
At 13+, candidates who perform strongly in the entrance assessments are invited to sit a separate scholarship examination in English and Mathematics, followed by an interview.
These scholarships are tenable for the duration of a pupil’s education and are worth £1,000 per annum. Successful applicants may also apply for up to 50% additional fee remission against the day fee, subject to means testing.
Burkitt Scholarships are awarded to candidates applying at 16+ for entry into Year 12. Candidates are required to sit tests in English, Mathematics and Reasoning, as well as attend an interview with a senior member of staff.
Funded by the Burkitt Trust, Burkitt awards are fixed at £1,000 per year. This may be supplemented by means-tested bursaries of up to 50% of School fees. Burkitt Scholars are also eligible for support of up to £1,000 per annum if they successfully gain entry to either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge.
This scholarship, funded by a bequest from Peter Lee OD, is available only to academically outstanding and musically exceptional pupils of Chinese ancestry. Up to 50% funding is available for the highest-performing candidate. Bursary awards of up to 30% of fees may also be offered to high-performing candidates who achieve outstanding examination results.
A GCSE tariff of six A and A grades is set as a condition of the award. Candidates not following this curriculum must be able to offer equivalent qualifications. Exceptional musical ability must be demonstrated through a minimum of Grade 7 on the candidate’s principal instrument, preferably achieved at Merit or Distinction level. Ability on a second instrument is desirable, but not essential.
Please make your Enquiry via our Parent Portal for the Peterlee Scholarship
In addition to Academic Scholarships, we also offer a limited number of awards at 11+, 13+ and 16+ in a range of other disciplines, including Art, Drama, Design Technology, Music and Sport.
Applicants who are successful in securing one of these awards will receive a £1,000 reduction in School fees each year. They may also be eligible for financial assistance of up to 50% of fees, subject to means testing.
Applicants may apply for more than one award. Please note that financial remission is available only for the first award; any additional awards secured are honorary.
In addition, Music Scholarships include free tuition on two instruments, with voice counted as one of these.
Pupils in receipt of Art, Design Technology, Drama and Music awards are expected to continue their studies in those disciplines to GCSE. Those in receipt of Sport awards are expected to play an active role in the School’s games programme and fixture list. Pupils who do not continue their award discipline to A level are expected to remain actively involved in the life of the School in that area.
Each discipline has a set of expectations that every scholar is required to fulfil, and these form part of the annual review process. Where a candidate has been successful in gaining more than one award, second and subsequent awards are honorary and do not generate any further reduction in fees.
Children who successfully apply to join the Durham Cathedral Choir are enrolled in the Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation.
In recognition of the tremendous dedication and commitment they give alongside their studies, Cathedral Choristers pay a greatly reduced fee of £2,197.33 per term.
If required, financial assistance in the form of a Governors’ Bursary may be available at any point in your child’s school career. This is discretionary and is granted only after the assessment of parents’ financial circumstances.
Any financial assistance granted is reviewed on a regular basis and subject to satisfactory performance and conduct on the part of the pupil. A Confidential Financial Circumstances Form can be obtained from the Finance Office at the Durham School.
For more information on scholarships and bursaries, please contact our Admissions Office on 0191 731 9270 or admissions@dcsf.org.uk.
