23 May 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
It was lovely to read in the news this week that Durham has been recognised as one of the happiest places to live in Britain. Living here, it is sometimes easy to take for granted the nature, culture and amenities the area has to offer. When making the judgements, researchers reportedly placed importance of culture and community and gave extra weight to these factors. As such the strong sense of community spirit in Durham was referenced as one of the main reasons for topping the northern locations and that is something I’m lucky enough to witness every day in our school.
Today was no exception as we celebrated the end of Year 11 with our leavers’ assembly; a long-standing tradition marking the end of a significant chapter in their young lives. James Hall was filled with laughter, nostalgia, and even a tear or two as Mrs Banner and Mr Kidd shared memories and funny stories alongside presenting awards, the inevitable Kahoot quiz, and recognising some amazing achievements of this incredibly talented cohort. As ever, a highlight was the slideshow of photos comparing our students in Year 7 and Year 11. What a difference a few years can make, not just in height and questionable hairstyles, but in confidence, character, and maturity. Seeing those early Year 7 smiles – some nervous, some wide-eyed with excitement – next to their confident, grown-up Year 11 selves showed just how far they’ve come in the last 5 years.
We also had the great pleasure of welcoming back a much older leaver this week. Duncan, an old Jonstonian who attended the school in the late 1950s, returned to Durham Johnston on Wednesday night for the first time in nearly 70 years with his wife and daughter. Our visitor was full of energy and sharp memories as he toured the school, sharing vivid stories from a very different era of school life. From tales of fondly remembered teachers and long-forgotten school traditions, it was a fascinating reminder of how much things have changed but also how much has stayed the same. During his visit, Duncan spent time reminiscing as we looked through memorabilia from the school archive room, including old yearbooks, newsletters, and black-and-white photographs. It was both moving and inspiring to see him reconnect with his school days, pointing out familiar faces and long-lost friends. He spoke warmly about the teachers who shaped his life, and the opportunities and experiences he has as a student of Durham Johnston, and how proud he was to see the school thriving all these years later. It was a lovely reminder of the long-standing history of the school and the lasting legacy of our community.
As we head into half term, I would like to wish all members of our community a lovely break. Whether you're travelling, spending time with loved ones, revising for exams or simply enjoying a slower pace, I hope this week offers the opportunity to re-charge and re-energise ready for the final stretch of the school year.
Mrs McFadden
Future Business Magnates
On Thursday our Year 8 Future Business Magnates Team set-up their stall in the 1950's area of Beamish. Their idea is a food stall; we were asked to bring life back to the High-Street and they all unanimously agreed that food was the way to go! Students selected a “retro sweet" theme and chose ‘Curbside Cravings’ as their name. We met with a graphic designer to bring their designs to life (our in-house graphic artist was offered a work experience day as his ideas really were first class). Students are developing the concept of "It's not just food, it's an education". There are so many different cultures represented in our team (and in school) - we wanted to celebrate that, especially in a city such as Durham. Different monthly dishes will sit alongside our staple "Olykoeks"; visitors will be introduced to different cuisines, artwork, music and stories and will leave with their tummies full, and knowledge increased.
Throughout the day the students were visited by members of the general public, representatives from Business Durham and secret shoppers. They pitched their idea with confidence and were able to answer a range of tricky questions. They were such a credit to the school - well done team!
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Miss Forbes
Subject Leader for Business & Computing
PE News
On Monday our Year 9 boys’ cricket team played Dyke House in the County Cup. They batted first and scored 144 runs. Despite our best efforts we couldn't keep up with the run rate finishing on 105. Dylan L top scored on 32.
On Tuesday our Year 7 & 8 boys’ basketball teams travelled to Stockton to play Acklam Grange in the conference semi-finals of the Junior NBA competition. Our Year 7 team started strongly and went on to control the game winning by 30 points with Roan P our top scorer and POM. They now reach the finals day in Newcastle in June. Unfortunately, our Year 8 team couldn't join them as they struggled against a strong side eventually losing by a similar score to the Year 7 game. Brodie S was POM.
It was back to cricket on Wednesday as our Year 8 boys’ team were at Whickham in the Tyneside Cup. They batted first and scored 109 runs. We paced our reply perfectly passing their total with 4 overs to go, to reach the quarter-final. Laurie A top scored with 50 runs and was POM.
More cricket yesterday as our Year 7 boys’ team faced Dame Allan's in a friendly. We scored an impressive 151 runs in our 20 overs with Thom B top scoring on 70. We bowled well and kept taking wickets as we secured an 85-run win after bowling them out for 66. Thom B was POM.
Finally good luck today to our U13 girls’ cricket team who are at Durham School playing in the County tournament. We have two tough games against Barnard Castle and the hosts.
A reminder that tickets are now on sale for our 29th annual Sports Presentation Evening which takes place at Ramside Hall on Wednesday 9th July. Tickets are £12 each and can be purchased via ParentPay. The PE department are looking forward to welcoming everyone to celebrate another amazing year of sporting success for the students of Durham Johnston.
Mr Hopper
Subject Leader for PE
A reminder of our weekly sports bulletin:
Sports Bulletin