Durham Sixth Form Centre was proud to honour its momentous milestone of 110 years of providing quality education with a day of celebrations on 14th July 2023. Since its opening in 1913 the school has remained dedicated to fostering academic excellence, innovation and a commitment to student success. The School has had six different names since its opening in 1913 but has often been known locally as The School on The Sands, where 248 girls from the Johnson Technical School were the first pupils taught on its current site.
Throughout its rich history, the school has continued to evolve, adapt, and embrace change ensuring that its students receive a comprehensive and relevant education. “We were immensely proud to commemorate this historic occasion of our 110th anniversary,” said Ellen Beveridge CEO. “It was wonderful to see alumni, staff, students and the wider community come together to reminisce about their time here, some travelling from far and wide to experience this special day.”
Guests were welcomed with the lively sounds of Heavy Beat Brass Band, which helped set the emotional atmosphere of the day. Tours of the site were given by current staff, so guests could walk down memory lane seeing classrooms and incredible archives of old photographs, exercise books, maps and memorabilia from days gone by. A few guests went into our TV Studio to record sound bites of their memories, some even enjoying the opportunity to sing their old school songs. All of which was followed by an afternoon tea and the opportunity to sit and rekindle old friendships and share more stories from school days past. All guests received a gift bag filled with goodies including a commemorative cup, candle, postcards and engraved pencil.
As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, it is a time to express gratitude to all those who have contributed to its success – past and present. Their dedication and unwavering support has been instrumental in the schools continued growth and success.
