Durham Gilesgate Sports College and Sixth Form Centre has become part of the Government's specialist schools scheme. Schools who become specialist receive around £600,000 extra funding from the government to spend on their specialist area.

Under the Tories funding per pupil in Durham was £2,840 per year in real terms, under Labour this has risen to £4,160. Labour are commtted to raising this to £8,000 per year, the same level currently enjoyed by pupils in private schools. The Tories are still committed to cutting spending on public services compared to Labour.

School acheivement is also rising in the Constituency, since 1997 the percentage of young people in Durham City gaining 5 A*-C GCSE grades has risen 49% to 66%. Young people work really hard to acheive these results, but they wouldn't have been possible without the 100 extra teachers and teaching assisstants we now have in Durham City.