[3] Founded by the Bishop of Durham, Thomas Langley, in 1414, it received royal foundation by King Henry VIII in 1541 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the Protestant Reformation.

The school was in Langley's time situated on the east side of Palace Green to the north of the cathedral.

In 1661, the school moved to the building currently occupied by the Durham University Department of Music to the south west of Palace Green.

We can trace from the Restoration onwards not only the familiar city names such as Salvin, Wilkinson, Hutchinson, Blakiston, Fawcett, Bowes, Calverley, Cole.

Later than these comes Thomas Randall (head master 1761–8), who made a large collection of manuscript material for local history books.

From its location on Palace Green outside Durham Cathedral, whilst Edward Elder was Headmaster[9] the school moved to its present site in 1844.

Numbers have steadily grown and both schools have benefited from the merger as demonstrated by their Excellent ISI rating in 2023.

[26] (Note that the UKNIWM reference and Durham School's disagree on the number of World War I dead - 97 or 98.)

[16] A further war memorial, which predates the building of the chapel, can be seen in St Margaret's, the local Parish Church.

Pastoral care at Durham School is based around the house system: Although lessons are co-educational and sport takes place generally in year groups, for pastoral and sporting competition purposes, the school is divided into six different single sex houses.

With facilities that encompass playing fields, swimming pool, all-weather pitch and boathouse, Durham School has a wide-ranging sports programme that includes athletics, badminton, cricket, cross country, fencing, football, gym, hockey, netball, rounders, rowing, rugby, squash, swimming, tennis, golf and water polo.

Durham School is the fourth or fifth oldest football club of any kind in the world and has produced many international rugby union players as well as introducing the game to Scotland.

The headmaster during this great period was Richard Thomas Dutton Budworth who was himself a former England international and Barbarian.

[39] Newcastle Falcons (originally Gosforth) rugby union club were founded as the old boys side and played in the school's colours until recently[when?]

[40] The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation within schools in the UK.

[48] The campus is situated one-half mile to the east of the senior school, overlooking the World Heritage Site, Durham Cathedral.

[48] Former pupils are known as ’Old Bowites’ and several prominent alumni include British politicians and members of the aristocracy, such as William Fletcher-Vane, 1st Baron Inglewood, Sir Brian Horrocks and Sir Gilbert Longden, and a number of professional sportsmen, such as Michael Philip Weston.

[49] The past pupils of Durham School, referred to as Old Dunelmians, have been, and continue to be, found across the spectrum of public life, the armed services, the arts, the church and in sport.