The headmistress of a County Durham independent school and her staff have been delighted to welcome the first boys in a generation back into their Pre Prep and Prep departments in an historic move for the school.
Excited youngsters joined their new classmates as they began their educational journeys at Durham High School (DHS), in Durham City, which is renowned for its excellent academic results, outstanding pastoral care and warm community.
The school, which is currently the Sunday Times’s Independent Secondary School of the Year North East, announced it was accepting boys into the Pre Prep and Prep departments in April, with the Senior School becoming co-educational from September 2026.
DHS is owned and operated by Durham Education Limited, part of the Galaxy Global Education Group (GGEG), which has secured its financial future and seen investment in enhanced facilities and new mini buses for the 141-year-old school.
Michelle Hill, Headmistress at Durham High School, said: “It’s been wonderful to see the excitement on all our new pupils’ faces, and we’re particularly delighted to see the boys settling into their new classrooms as we move towards becoming fully co-educational.
“It’s a new era and while we gently welcome our new additions, our values, academic excellence and strong pastoral support remain resolutely the same at our beloved school. We have a bright future ahead at Durham High.”
As well as its Sunday Times accolade, the school received an ‘Excellent’ inspection in its latest report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in which it praised the active role the school plays in its local community and the excellent quality of its pupils’ personal development.
For more information and for a look around the school, families can join other prospective parents at Durham High’s Open Morning on October 4 by contacting admissions@dhsfg.org.uk