Durham High School for Girls A GSG School
- Durham High School for Girls
Farewell Hall
South Road
Durham
DH1 3TB - Head: Michelle Hill
- T 01913 843226
- F 01913 867381
- E headmistress@dhsfg.org.uk
- W www.dhsfg.org.uk
- A mainstream independent school for girls aged from 11 to 18 with a linked junior school
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: County Durham
- Pupils: 317; sixth formers: 51
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: £12,696 - £16,950 pa
- Open days: September, November, February, May & June
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: Durham High Junior School for Girls
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Small class sizes (extremely small in the sixth form) mean girls get excellent individual attention from a very committed and happy staff. All the pupils and parents we spoke to raved about the teaching. Very strong pastoral care sits at the heart of the DHSG offer to pupils and seems to have equal weighting with academics. Uniform is smart and very traditional, boaters and felt hats are still…
What the school says...
Durham High School is unique as the only girls’ school in County Durham, and its distinctiveness also stems from being an all-through school, educating girls from Nursery through to the Sixth Form on one site.
Our pastoral care is exemplary; girls feel secure as members of a caring, compassionate community, each knowing she is valued for her own talents and individuality. Visitors invariably comment on the warm, happy atmosphere in school.
As experts in the teaching of girls, we know how girls learn and we provide the stimulating and supportive environment in which they can flourish. Girls here enjoy their academic studies and the challenges with which they are presented; they like the fact that it's ‘cool’ to try hard and all have high aspirations. With small classes and committed staff, each girl is assured of individual support and teachers are indefatigable in their efforts to secure the best possible outcomes for the girls in their care.
We have an extensive extra-curricular programme, with activities, trips and opportunities to suit everyone. Girls are also encouraged to develop the leadership skills, confidence and mental resilience which will help them succeed in later life. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Sports
Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.
Rowing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Principal
Since October 2023, Michelle Hill, who previously held other SLT positions at the school including deputy head (pastoral), vice principal (3-18) and, most recently, acting principal. A specialist biology teacher, she has spent much of her 25-year career in the 11-16 state school sector in Redcar and Cleveland, including as assistant head (with responsibility for student support and lifelong learning) at Sacred Heart Secondary School and as advanced skills teacher at Redcar Academy where she helped raise achievements in science across the Middlesbrough authority. She was educated in an all-girls’ secondary school, has a BSc in environmental biology from Sunderland and is currently studying for an MA in education leadership. She is the North East representative for the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) pastoral committee.
Entrance
Pupils complete two papers: a short, imaginative piece of writing and...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
We have in-school screening for Specific Learning Difficulties. We have a designated Learning Support Room with appropriate resources. We have an Educational Pyschologist who works with the school, assessing and following up individual needs. SpLD students are given a weekly lesson with a qualified SpLD teacher and support within the curriculum, if parents request it. For those with literacy and numeracy difficulties, we give help on an individual or small group basis. Other support for hearing difficulties is given usually through the LEA sensory support services working with the school.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
|
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
|
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
|
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
|
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
|
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
|
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
|
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
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