7 February 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
As you will know, this week started with the news that we had some visitors to welcome into school on Tuesday and Wednesday. I would like to thank all parents and carers who took the time to complete the Ofsted Parent View survey; there was a really high level of engagement, and it was a testament to how involved you as parents are with the school, as we work together to support our students, your children. We will be able to share the results of the inspection once the report is published in a few weeks’ time; in the meantime, what I can share is that, as you would expect, our students outdid themselves as representatives of our community. A huge number of them were involved in student panels, as well as in lessons and being observed in their day-to-day routines around the building, and we are so proud of the way they conducted themselves – polite, articulate, funny, and true to themselves and the school ethos.
‘Normal’ life continued alongside Ofsted, and you will be able to see from the bulletin below that we have a number of things to celebrate in the sporting and musical life of the school, as well as plenty to look forward to in the remaining weeks of this half term.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs McFadden
What is my child learning?
In the Learning section of our website, you can find guidance on what every student at the school is studying. As well as an overview of our curriculum and principles behind it, you can find an overview of each subject area.
You can also find Assessment Calendars, and a guide to the content being covered in every subject and how you can support your child for each half term here: Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 | Year 12 | Year 13
Drama Extra-Curricular
Drama students have been notified that due to the GCSE Drama practical exam, there will be no Year 9 drama club on Wed 12th of February, nor year 7 and 8 drama club on Thursday 13th of February. All sessions resume the following week.
Ms Ayrey
Subject Lead for Drama
Music Notices
Chamber Choir Evensong
On Monday afternoon we took Chamber Choir to Durham Cathedral to sing the service of Evensong. This is a great privilege and an excellent musical experience, and the members of Chamber Choir were a credit to school in their musicianship, but also their deportment. There is a lot for the performers to remember - standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, turning, not to mention 3-part unaccompanied singing, and they managed it all with decorum and due solemnity.
Spring Concerts
Our two concerts this term will take place on Wednesday 2nd April (Wind Band, Junior Orchestra, Junior Choir & Soloists), and Thursday 3rd April (Senior Choir, Senior Orchestra, Chamber Choir & Soloists). The theme is 'Greatest Hits' so prepare to hear top tunes from the past five centuries!
Tickets will be on sale after half-term at the usual inflation-proof prices of £4 and £2 (concessions). Pupils who might like to perform a solo in either concert should contact Mr Holmes. A reminder that these will be the final large-scale performances of the year, with all ensembles having a break in the summer term, therefore, it would be great to have full attendance at rehearsals over the coming weeks. This ensures a quality performance, but for Year 13 pupils it is important to make the most of your final musical experiences at Durham Johnston.
Mr Holmes
Subject Leader for Music
PE News
Last Sunday our U19 girls’ netball team were at Sports Central Newcastle competing in the North-East regional round of the National Cup. Our first match was against Bede College and this was the most dramatic game of the competition. We were 3 goals ahead with only 2 minutes to play but they fought back to level the scores. With only seconds remaining they got another interception, and as time ran out, they scored to beat us by 1 goal. Despite comfortable victories in three of our other four games this defeat proved costly as we finished in 3rd place, just missing out on a place in the national finals. However still an amazing achievement to finish 3rd in the north-east and the best school, as the two teams above us were colleges with specialist netball programs.
On Monday our U13 girls’ indoor cricket team were at the Beacon of Light competing in the Area finals. We had a great morning winning all our games to reach the semi-finals. This included an excellent 20 run victory against a strong team from Easington. In the afternoon we beat Argyle House to reach the final against Shotton Hall. This was a high-quality, exciting final which was close throughout. They had the County wicket-keeper and that made the difference as we finished runners-up after a 3 run defeat. Fingers crossed we will go through to the County round as the highest scoring runners-up.
On Tuesday our Year 8 boys futsal team travelled to Hurworth School for the County finals. We started with a comfortable 8-0 victory over the hosts. We became County Champions after beating Acklam Grange 8-3 in our final game after a strong second-half performance. We now go on to represent County Durham in the regional finals at the Beacon of Light. Reid S and Levi G were joint POTs.
Also on Tuesday, we hosted the Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4 boys’ and girls’ County badminton finals. This was a fantastic afternoon of high-quality badminton. Our KS3 girls and KS4 boys both won their competition to become County Champions and now progress to the regional round in March. Special mention to Esme G, Esme C, Maja S and Grace L-C who acted as match officials for the afternoon. They kept the competition running smoothly and were praised by staff from other schools for their attitude and maturity.
Finally on Tuesday our U19 boys’ football hosted St Aidan's in the Senior Knockout Cup. We started slowly and went 2-0 down. We improved as the game went on and brought the game back to 3-2. However, as we chased the game towards the end we conceded 3 more goals to lose 6-2.
On Wednesday our U18 boys’ rugby team were competing in the County Cup tournament at Durham City RFC. We finished 3rd after excellent wins against Emmanuel College and Parkview. Our only defeats came against Barnard Castle and Durham School. The sportsmanship and attitude they displayed was a credit to the school.
On Thursday, our Year 7 girls’ netball team were due to be playing in the area tournament at Durham School. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to frozen courts. However, they did manage to play a friendly against St Leonard's which we just won.
Also on Thursday, our Year 10 boys futsal team were at Hurworth for their County final. One school dropped out, so it was a straight final against Hurworth. Unfortunately, several of our players were unavailable at short notice, so thanks to Henry C and Henry B for stepping in to play. This was a close game, but their goalkeeper proved the difference, as despite plenty of possession, we couldn't find a goal, eventually losing 3-0.
Good luck today to our U16 girls’ basketball team who are hosting Tapton High School, Sheffield in the English Schools knockout stages. We have reached the last 16 schools in the country and hopefully can make the national quarter-finals.
Finally good luck tomorrow to around 25 of our cross-country runners who are at Stewart Park, Middlesbrough representing the County in the North- East Inter-County Championships.
Mr Hopper
Subject Leader for PE
A reminder of our weekly sports bulletin:
Sports Bulletin
