Lucy Green was one of Durham School’s Burkitt Scholars and achieved outstanding A-Level results in 2025, marking the end of two hugely successful years at Durham School. Her story is one of determination, resilience and making the most of every opportunity.
Lucy began her schooling in her hometown of Sunderland before being awarded a scholarship to join Durham School Sixth Form. During her time at Durham, she thrived academically and personally, demonstrating impressive determination and adaptability.
Outside the classroom, football played a transformative role in Lucy’s life.
From a young age I’ve always been quite nervous, but football has allowed me to meet new people, given me so many opportunities, and improved my confidence.
She said.
When health constraints meant Lucy was no longer able to play, she turned adversity into opportunity by becoming involved in coaching.
After completing a free coaching course with Durham FA, Lucy began working towards further coaching qualifications through a national coaching training programme, demonstrating her commitment to personal and professional development.
“Coaching football has given me a new lease of life!”
Lucy became a passionate advocate for women’s football and worked to inspire the next generation. She organised a football festival for more than 100 primary school girls, spoke to 100 headteachers at a North East conference about girls’ sport in primary schools, and visited younger pupils at The Chorister School to share her passion for football coaching.
Her dedication to football and her local community was recognised when she was selected as a representative for Barclays Game Changers, standing out among 200,000 applicants.
I’d like to say I’ve given a lot of girls the opportunity to see that women’s football is an option.
Lucy said, reflecting her commitment to empowering young girls in Sunderland.
Lucy’s achievements extended well beyond football and academics
During her time at Durham School, she also led initiatives focused on road safety and environmental sustainability. Reflecting on her leadership journey, Lucy said:
It’s stressful sometimes, but I’ve learned that there are so many other people who also want to do good as well.
By the time Lucy left Durham School in 2025, she had made a lasting contribution to School life. Her journey is a wonderful example of how passion, determination and a willingness to embrace new opportunities can help young people overcome challenges and make a positive difference to others.
Lucy reflects on her time at Durham School
Following her A-level results in 2025, Lucy wrote about her experience at Durham School and the opportunities that helped shape her next steps:
I spent two years at Durham School studying Geography, Politics and Economics A-Level, achieving AAA respectively. Having top-quality teachers with a clear passion for their subjects helped ignite my own enthusiasm for each subject and led me to choose to study Geography at the University of Glasgow, with the ambition of pursuing a career focused on geopolitics, ideally working for an IGO or NGO within development and international relations. This will allow me to build upon everything I learned at Durham School.
I was also incredibly grateful for the support I received from staff across the School. One of the great benefits of Durham is how close-knit it is. I always had a friendly face around School and was never far away from a great conversation with a member of staff about anything and everything. Durham felt like one big family.
It is also important to acknowledge everything else DCSF offered me, including trips, extra-curricular activities and sport. One of the highlights of my time at Durham was the fantastic Geography trip to Italy, where we visited Vesuvius, Naples and Capri and experienced both fascinating physical landscapes and vibrant culture.
In terms of extra-curricular activities, I loved being editor of the Durham Eye from 2024 to 2025, during which I was delighted to win Shine Media Editor of the Year 2025. I also enjoyed leading environmental initiatives, including setting up a sustainability club, and making use of our close relationship with The Chorister School to coach football to younger girls.
Finally, I loved playing cricket for the Girls’ 1st XI. I had so many fantastic experiences both on tour and at home, particularly wicketkeeping and batting for the team, and I wished every success to the teammates I left behind.
All things considered, coming to Durham benefited me more than I can articulate. With the brilliant teaching, extra-curricular and sporting opportunities, alongside the constant support I received, I don’t think I would have performed so well in my exams. I knew I would miss DCSF, but I was also excited for the next chapter.
We remain incredibly proud of everything Lucy achieved during her time at Durham School. Her story demonstrates the important role scholarships can play in opening doors to life-changing educational opportunities, while giving talented young people the confidence and support to thrive, inspire others and make a lasting impact on their communities.