We want our pupils to leave us as mature and responsible young men and women, imbued with the skills required to tackle the challenges ahead of them.

We strive to add value to each and every one of our pupils.

• We have the courage to say and do the right thing
• We demonstrate a will to do the right thing
• We can be relied upon to do the right thing
• We act in private as we do in public
• We stand firm for what is right
• We challenge things we think are wrong and are open to challenge from others
• We are accountable for failure as well as success, and do not allocate blame
• We demonstrate and promote honesty, and are true to ourselves

Durham School encourages pupils to be ambitious. We are in the top 3% nationally when it comes to the progress pupils make academically, and achieve high in the league tables in team sports.

• We achieve our goals by consistently working toward them
• We go above and beyond the call of duty
• We are ambitious when we set goals for ourselves
• We seek help and support before giving up and identify lessons in setbacks
• We encourage all to develop maximum potential and support others to achieve
• We embrace opportunities, challenges, and seek to develop our skills and talents
• We identify opportunities for School Development

Our pupils are punctual and prompt in all that they do. We use our resources responsibly, developing and caring for the environment around us. We are pioneers in discovering better ways of doing things.

• We do what we say we will
• We are punctual and prompt in all that we do
• We use our resources responsibly, developing and caring for our environment
• We act before being asked and consistently deliver on expectations
• We prepare thoroughly for all tasks
• We are accountable for our actions
• We encourage autonomy in all and seek leadership
• We acknowledge and seek to resolve problems
• We pioneer better ways of doing things

​​​​​​​It is the generosity of today’s Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation community that helps enhance and enrich their learning inside the classroom.

• We are open and approachable to all, no matter their gender, faith, race or background
• We welcome and listen to the opinions of others and look to engage and involve a diverse range of views in the community
• We attend to and include newcomers and those needing help, and actively build relationships
• We support each other and stand up for fellow colleagues and pupils
• We acknowledge individual needs within our diverse and inclusive community
• We speak positively of the School community, and are positive in responding to questions