Friends is about parents, staff and children coming together to have fun and to support their school community. You can do this by attending events, helping run those events, helping us to gain access sponsorship or even by making the donation. There are also opportunities to welcome new pupils, help at open mornings and even assist in the recruitment of senior staff. 

The Friends of Durham School has been part of the school life for 80 years. A seperate registered charity, we seek to bring together the whole Durham School community to support each other and the School.

The main focus of the Friends is to organise social events at the School - with the annual Summer Ball being arguably the social event in The School Calendar.

At the start of each school year, the Friends host a New Parents Evening - a very informal chance to find out more about the Friends and to meet other new parents while enjoying a glass of wine.

While the main purpose of our events is social, we also try to raise funds which are spent on 'extras' that help deliver on our promise of Confidence for life; Respect for all to our pupils.

Read the latest report from The Friends.

Current Year Reps


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Contact Us

friends@dcsf.org.uk

 +44 (0)191 731 9270 

The Life of the School


Three of the projects supported by Friends Grants would be the Chapel Sound System, the Portable PA, and the well being of the pupils, totalling £3,500.

Chapel Sound System -

The Friends have regularly invested funds into the Chapel, the spiritual heart of the School. Most recently we have paid for a much-needed upgrade to the Chapel's sound system. This has dramatically improved the experience for the congregation, and it means that pupils speaking and reading in Chapel can be heard no matter in which pew you find yourself.

Portable PA -

An investment of just £500 by Friends has enabled the purchase of a portable PA Kit for use at Friends and School events. It was first used in November 2019 at Bushnell Day, a gathering of over 300 ODs, pupils and staff, which raised over £1,000 for sports charities.

Wellbeing -

With 24/7 social media on top of academic and peer pressure, the mental health of young people is facing challenges like never before. The pastoral nature of the School and its House system is an ideal framework in which to help develop the wellbeing of pupils. The Friends have, alongside a number of personal donations, funded the implementation of Durham School's wellbeing programme, which is making a difference to the lives of pupils throughout the School, and will lead to the School being granted wellbeing status in 2021.




The Luce Theatre


In the last three years, the Friends have invested £7,000 in the refurbishment of the Luce Theatre. This has been matched by individual donations, which together have transformed the space.

The Luce is a versatile black box theatre used for both drama lessons and productions for pupils from Bow to Y13. Named after the former Headmaster, Cannon Luce, it has hosted over four decades of Durham School drama. It was built in the shell of the old Gymnasium after a successful fundraising appeal in the late 1970s.

The recent refurbishment began by installing a full-length mirror along one wall of the space, something which has been used to great effect when rehearsing for musical productions such as Oliver! and Billy Elliot. Last year, Friends invested further funds in a new floor for the space, making it suitable for dance and physical theatre.

Joining with a number of individual donors, this year Friends have helped to improve the lighting and sound equipment, including purchasing a set of new radio mics. We have also bought 100 comfortable chairs for use by both musicians and theatre audiences.




Outdoor Activities


The outdoor life of the school is as important to the activities that take place inside of the classroom. from hands-on learning through academic field trips to sport and outward-bound activities, Friends regularly supports these key elements of a Durham School education. Grants totalling £4,000 have been given to projects outside the classroom.

Adventurous Activities -

In 2020, we supported new equipment for intrepid explorers undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh Award. We have also provided new paintball equipment to enable pupils involved in the CCF to take part in more realistic exercises.

Geography Field Trip Kit -

Wading through rivers and marshes is just one of the ways schools can bring subjects like geography to life. However, a set of river testing equipment, complete with full length waders makes the experience much more comfortable and fruitful.

Sport -

The AstroTurf behind Chapel has been the setting for Durham Hockey for over a decade. While there have been many personal and team achievements on the pitch, it has also seen its fair share of wind, rain and occasionally even snow. Friends have invested in two purpose-built dugouts to provide much needed shelter for teams. Members of Friends also helped to build and install these dugouts, which makes them all the more special.

Rowing -

Rowing is one of the oldest sporting traditions at Durham School. It involves pupils of all ages and abilities. In 2020 a grant from Friends purchased new booms to help stabilize boats for novice rowers.




Art, Design & Technology


Grants totalling £6,000 have been given to support new technology across the school.

The Friends bought the first computer for art, design and technology in the late 1980s, and we have continued to support developments in this exiting part of the School ever since. Most recently, we have invested in a new suite of computers and contributed to purchasing a new laser cutting machine.

Usually these computers and cutter allow pupils to use state-of-the-art design software to help design and create projects for GCSE and A level work. During the recent COVID-19 outbreak, they also helped resident staff Mark and Victoria Younger to manufacture hundreds of visors and other items of PPE for distribution to local hospitals.

We have also celebrated pupils' artistic talents by paying for a new set of frames in the Exhibition Room. These allow pupils work to be displayed year-round in a room used for teaching, meeting and social functions.

Pupils use of IT at Durham School goes way beyond Office 365. Programming is a key skill that all pupils get to develop throughout their school career. Friends have invested in a range of programmable robotic Lego and Microbits for pupils to use in and out of lessons.

A similar investment in a kit drone has spawned an engineering society, and we understand their first drone will be buzzing round the Quad shortly.




Bow


Bow is the setting for Durham School pupils aged 3-11. Friends are very active in this small, family focused School. This is reflected in the projects we have been able to support with over £6000 in grants in recent years.

Christmas Events -

Each year, thanks to your support, Friends arrange a variety of activities at the end of term, including children's magicians and the DJ for the Christmas Disco.

Play Facilities at Bow -

Teachers at Bow invest a great deal f time and energy in developing innovative outdoor play, both at break times and as part of the curriculum. To support these activities, we are delighted to have been able to fund wellie racks and other storage facilities which will prolong the life of this equipment.

Willow Classroom -

The beautiful surroundings of Spinny Wood have long been the backdrop to Bow School. Now it also plays host to a living classroom made of woven willow trees. As it grows the leaves will provide a shade from the sun in the summer and a barrier against wind in the spring and autumn, allowing pupils to have lessons outside for much of the year.

iPads -

Pupils at Bow have had access to touchscreen technology for many years. As existing devices reached the end of their working life, new Apple iPads have been bought by Friends and integrated into the classroom.




Get Involved


There are so many different ways to help; just by attending events at Durham School will help raise funds for future activities held here. We are volunteer led and rely on your support to be both year reps and volunteers at events. without your help we could not run an of the events, whether it is our start of year welcome drinks, the Bonfire Night fireworks, the Summer BBQ or the Summer Ball.