Welcome to Durham Johnston Comprehensive School.
We are a happy and thriving school in the heart of Durham City.
We believe that each word in our school name is hugely important and is linked directly to our ethos and values, and what we seek to do on a daily basis. We are proud to serve the people of County Durham and our students are drawn from a wide geographical area. We take our name from James Finley Weir Johnston, a successful scientist who bequeathed money so that both boys and girls from Durham could access a high-quality education. We have been providing a rich and varied academic curriculum since 1901 and are proud to have a long and distinguished history. Subject specific knowledge and an awareness of Britain and the wider world are hugely important as students develop and learn. The quality of education that we offer is comprehensive in terms of both breadth and scope. We are also a comprehensive school in terms of the wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances that members of our school community come from. Increasingly, our students are drawn from a wide variety of nations and continents too. That diversity is one of our greatest strengths.
Our staff are highly experienced and combine subject specialism with a commitment to pastoral care and student support. All students have equal access to a well-planned curriculum, a wide range of opportunities for personal development and the chance to learn from the others within our school community.
We believe firmly in social justice and equality of opportunity for all; when students cross our threshold each morning, they have access to the same opportunities. As a school we believe in education in its widest sense; students can learn a huge amount both in and beyond the classroom, and, of equal importance, by interacting and working with others. The personal development of each student is key to their future success, and we offer a diverse range of extracurricular opportunities, as well as encouraging participation in public service, particularly through our well established House System.
In their time with us we want all of our students to make excellent academic progress based upon their starting points, to acquire knowledge, to access opportunities regardless of previous experiences or circumstance, to support others within and beyond our community and to leave us for further success as adults. We are a big and busy comprehensive school, and all teaching and support staff are united in wanting the best for our students. We work hard, and look for ways to adapt, improve, and create new opportunities for our young people. We don’t always get things right and sometimes encounter issues and circumstances for which there aren't easy solutions, but we are honest about that and seek to work closely with parents and carers.
We want all students to enjoy their time with us, to be successful and to look back on their time at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School positively.
Our website serves as a starting point for finding out about our school; please feel free to contact us if you would like to find out more.
Rosslyn McFadden
Headteacher