13 March 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
March is slightly unusual time that always feels a bit ‘in-between’. We are not at the end of this school year, nor are we anywhere near the beginning, but somehow, we find ourselves dealing with both at once.
Our Year 11 and Year 13 students are in that familiar pre-exam headspace. They are starting to realise that their time here with us is coming to an end; a simultaneously exciting and scary thought for many. There is lots of work to be done and lots of decisions to be made and we are right there with them guiding, supporting and occasionally pushing(!) them in the final stages of their journey.
At the same time, we have just had national offer day which always brings a wave of excitement. We know who our new Year 7s are going to be and many of them have siblings or relations already with us. Many of their parents also attended DJCS; it is always lovely to see families continuing their legacy with us, but we are also excited to welcome many first time Johnstonians and look forward to seeing what mark they will make on our school community.
And of course, there is everyone else in the middle. Year 7 have suddenly started to look a bit bigger and definitely more confident; they seem ready to take their new position as role models to the newbies. Year 8 are, as I’m sure you know, full of energy, and they have that charming blend of at times showing real flashes of maturity and then just a few minutes later running about daft on the yard playing innocent games. Year 9 are in the middle ground, waiting to hear about their options choices, getting ready to embark on their GCSEs, and beginning to form plans for the future. Year 10 are steadily building the foundations of their GCSE courses and getting ready to take their place as the oldest and wisest(?) in lower school,
And so that’s what we have been doing this week. We’ve been helping some students prepare to leave, getting ready to welcome others, and supporting everyone else in between. It’s a lot of work, and it’s very busy, but we know the end result will be worth it!
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs McFadden
CyberFirst Winners’ Trip
Our winning team for the CyberFirst Girls Competition had an excellent trip to Glasgow last weekend. Congratulations to Elisha W, Sophie H, Izzy S, and Jessica S!
The girls were given an exclusive Cyber Security session from leading professionals in the sector. They also got the chance to explore the many activities in the Glasgow Science Centre, followed by a three-course meal and awards presentation. The girls all received a laptop, wireless keyboard and mouse, AirPods, and a backpack which can charge devices on the go!
If you are a girl going into Year 8 next year, then listen out for form tutor notices at the start of the year and sign up with your friends!
Mr O'Connor
Lead Teacher of KS4/5 Computer Science
Key Stage 3 Drama Performance
Students in our KS3 Drama Clubs are excited to present a performance on Thursday 26th March at 6pm in James Hall. Performing and backstage students have been working diligently on the performance since the start of the academic year.
It is a trilogy of Greek plays based on the stories before and after the battle of Troy. If you would like to purchase tickets, please see the poster and the link to the ticket booking site below. If your child is involved, all students have been informed about the logistics of the rehearsals, and information is available on Class Charts.
Ms Ayrey
English Department
PE News
There’s no PE bulletin this week, as Mr Hopper is away with the Year 8 Ski Trip. Look forward to a bumper double edition next week…!
A reminder of our weekly sports bulletin:
