18 September 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
As shared in my end of year letter, Mr Wilbraham has stepped up to join Mrs Bell as a Deputy Headteacher this year. Those of you with older children will likely know him well from his highly successful tenure as Head of our prestigious Sixth Form and he will now bring that same expertise to whole‑school teaching and learning. Mr Wilbraham has worked at Durham Johnston for many years (since he was an NQT in fact) and as such has a deep understanding of our school, a relentless commitment to academic excellence and a genuine care for our students. To introduce himself, I am delighted that he has agreed to write this week’s bulletin and his reflections focus on the importance of learning, challenge and wisdom – themes that sit at the heart of our ethos at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School.
“Last week, I was involved in leading assemblies for students from Years 7 to 11, focusing on the school’s motto of ‘Dare to be Wise’. As I also referred to in this week’s Parent Information Presentation (PIP) for Year 10 parents, this motto is something we are committed to in our lessons every day, wanting students to enjoy their learning, knowing more about their subjects and embracing the difficulty of getting stuck – and working with their teachers to find a way through. Embracing ‘grapple’ matters: we want students to be challenged in their thinking and – despite how overly optimistic this may sound – embrace the experience of not knowing an answer instantly and, through a combination of teacher explanation or independent problem-solving, knowing and understanding more as a result. Daring to be wise therefore, is not simply about accruing knowledge, as important as that is, but is rather about the journey to finding out more and having a greater level of understanding about that learning. Wisdom tells students that getting stuck is a good thing, and that they’ll be better off for having experienced it as part of their classroom learning.
One of the best examples of practising this wisdom was my late grandmother. Unlike me, she had not experienced the comprehensive school system as I have done as a student and a teacher. She also did not attend university. She was born in the 1920s into a working-class family without economic security. Her father had been invalided out of WW1, with broken ribs and malaria, and struggled with poor health which affected his employment and life quality after the war. These were the days before the 1942 Beveridge Report, so the welfare state was yet to be established. My great-grandmother supported the family by her employment in silver service in Great Western restaurant – high class, sometimes relying on her tips awarded for excellent care for the dignitaries to keep the family housed, fed and clothed. By WW2, my grandmother was in her late teens and was involved in significant war service in the fight against Hitler, working as a telephonist in London when V1 bombs were hitting the area in which she worked. Once the war had been won and she returned to the North West, she married my grandfather, who himself was a war veteran and raised three children, one of whom is my dad.
I share this because my grandmother is by a distance, the best historian I’ve ever met (sorry Mr Doyle!). Her ability to tell stories about her own life, the family and the city of Chester where she lived was unmatched. Her attention to detail and precision of recall were remarkable. Her sharpness of mind and speed of wit never left her, even into her early nineties as she became older and frailer. She loved early modern history – especially the Tudors and Stuarts. She read voraciously, buying books for herself and her family (including me) every week on her visits to WH Smiths. Furthermore, and what makes her all the more impressive to me, is she always kept notes that she’d made when reading these books. Remember, she had not had much by way of formal education, had not experienced an excellent comprehensive education akin to what is offered at Durham Johnston. She also had been working in war service at a time in her life when many of our students now go onto prestigious university study. Yet, she was fastidious in her note-making, ready to share what she had learned and what had most interested her. Not long before she became ill and sadly died, I remember asking her (somewhat facetiously) ‘why are you making all these notes, Grandma, what’s the point?’ She answered with ‘Because it matters. It’s important to know things.’
My Grandmother was wise: she had experienced a huge amount in her life, had served her country in war and had raised a family. She was also wise because she was academically naive; she wanted to know more about the things for which she had passion and did not fear making mistakes along the way. She inspired me to become a history teacher because of her story telling, her commitment to wanting to know more (even in her last years of life) and desire to impart her knowledge to those younger than her. I do wonder how far my grandma might have gone academically if she had been given the privilege of attending a school such as Durham Johnston and entered university as an undergraduate historian.
I share this because I think it is important that we recognise that daring to be wise can mean different things to all of us, but the fundamentals of love for subject knowledge and not fearing making mistakes in our learning should be universal to us all, especially for the students in our school.”
Mr Wilbraham
Deputy Headteacher
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs McFadden
Dates for your diary
A reminder of some upcoming events in school:
Monday 21st September:
Year 12 PIP (Meet form tutors 4.30pm, presentation 5.00pm)
Year 11 PIP (Presentation 5.00pm)
Tuesday 22nd September
Newby Wiske parents’ meeting, 5.00pm
Monday 28th September
Year 6 Open Evening, 5.00-7.00pm
Access to the School Car Park
We would like to remind you that parents and carers without permits should not be driving onto the school site at the end of the usual school day.
Those parents and carers who do have car park passes should collect their child at 3:00 pm when the site is quieter in order to keep our school site as safe as possible. Students may wait in the atrium until this time. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work together to keep our school community safe.
National School Travel Awards
A reminder Mrs Hardwick (Geography Department and Educational Visits Coordinator) has been nominated as a ‘School Travel Champion’ with a national organisation in recognition of the excellent preparatory and support work she undertakes to enable school trips at Durham Johnston. Along with this national award for our school, there is a cash prize to be used to support disadvantaged students in attending future trips with us. So many of your children will have been on a school visit, and so we are sure that parents appreciate how much work goes into ensuring all the students have an excellent experience.
Mrs Hardwick is one of only four finalists, and the outcome depends on a public vote; we would welcome your vote via the link below!
School Trip Champion Award 2026: Meet the Finalists | School Travel Organiser
Scholastic Book Fair
Durham Johnston is excited to host our annual Scholastic Book Fair. As we get ready for a new academic year, come along to the 'Back to School Book Fair' and get reading! The fair will be open from Thursday 24th - Tuesday 29th September during lunch and after school in James Hall.
We will be using a cashless system for payments. Parents/carers/students must use the link below or the QR code and select Durham Johnston Comprehensive School to upload an online payment. Upload credit to spend at the fair on books/stationery of your choice. Most books cost between £4.99-£9.99 with a few brand-new releases priced at £14.99!
The Reading Room
The Reading Room will be back open Monday 21st September. We will be open Monday and Tuesday lunch and Monday - Thursday after school.
Students who have lost their library card can still use the facilities as library staff can search their name. They do not need their card to come to the room or take books away. Check out the catalogue on the Library page of the website.
Students can also take part in our exciting 8 Before the End of Year 8 Reading Challenge. Have a browse of our curated reading list. Students receive a HP for each book they read and review from this list and are entered into the prize draw for the end of the year if 8 are completed. Year 8 students can review books online using their library login details they received last year.
If any student has forgotten their login or password to complete online reviews, they can come and see me in the library at lunch.
Miss Bailey
English Department
Operation Wallacea Expedition
In July, 15 Year 11-13s embarked on the expedition of a lifetime to Honduras with Operation Wallacea. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing their adventures via diary entries and images.
Honduras 2026 Diary - Part 2
Base Camp, Buenos Aires, Coffee and the Balance of People and the Forest
Before tackling the extreme altitudes of Cantiles, our journey officially kicked off in the lower buffer zones of Cusuco National Park. Arriving at Base Camp was a sensory overload – a bustling hub of international scientists, packed equipment dry-bags, and the constant hum of briefing lectures on neotropical ecology.
Life at Base Camp runs on a fascinating, 24-hour scientific clock. During the twilight hours and late into the night, the camp transforms as teams of ornithologists (birds) and chiropterologists (bats) set up mist nets along the forest paths. These incredibly fine, nearly invisible nets are designed to gently intercept flying wildlife. We got to witness the researchers carefully extracting beautifully coloured birds in the early morning and elusive bats at night, taking precise measurements, checking body condition, and collecting vital population data before releasing them safely back into the wild. It was amazing to see such rare creatures up close and understand how this long-term monitoring helps track the overall health of the ecosystem.
But to truly understand this cloud forest, we also had to understand the people who call it home. We spent a profound day in Buenos Aires, a welcoming, remote village that has partnered with Operation Wallacea since 2004. This community provides the vital backbone of the expedition, working as our local guides, cooks, and porters.
The highlight of our time in the village was a special visit down to a local café to meet the wonderful Doña Martina. She hosted an incredible, hands-on workshop, guiding us through the entire process of artisanal coffee making – literally from coffee plant to cup. We helped harvest the bright red cherries, hull the beans, and roast them over an open fire until the rich, earthy aroma filled the entire room. Tasting that fresh, hand-ground brew right there in the mountains was unforgettable.
Beyond the delicious tasting, the workshop opened our eyes to the true mission of our expedition. Coffee is the main cash crop in this region. Because families rely on these plantations for their livelihoods, there is a constant, delicate pressure to clear land. This is a focus of the work of OPWALL: finding a careful balance between economy and ecology.
We learned how OPWALL is actively encouraging the community to adopt shade-grown coffee plantations. Traditional "sun coffee" requires clearing the jungle, but shade-grown coffee thrives right beneath the existing canopy. This approach is a massive win-win: it produces premium, high-quality beans for the growers, while preserving the vital forest layers that serve as a habitat for migrating and endemic birds.
After a fascinating afternoon of learning, we took a hike through the forest to a spectacular local waterfall. The trek was beautiful, but the real reward was diving into the cool, crystal-clear water for a jungle swim. It was the perfect, refreshing antidote to the mountain humidity, washing away the dust and leaving us completely rejuvenated.
Filled with Doña Martina’s incredibly potent fuel – and a much deeper appreciation for the complex socio-economic landscape of conservation – we turned our eyes toward the steep ridges ahead, ready to climb into the clouds.
PE News
It has been another week of incredible attendance at extra-curricular clubs and trials. We had a record turn-out of 98 girls at netball club last night! We continue to see well over 100 students staying back each evening. Our first boys’ football club of the year is on tonight and is open to anyone in Year 7 - 9 who hasn't made it onto the team.
Fixtures have also started. Last night our VIth Form boys’ football team hosted Framwellgate in a County Cup and League double. We were 1-0 ahead at half-time. Harry S scored in the second half to double our lead. They applied some late pressure and pulled a goal back, but we hung on for the win. Captain Harry C was POM.
Also last night, our U14 girls’ football team took on Acklam Grange in the English Schools Cup. We took an early lead but unfortunately, they fought back to beat us 2-1with an amazing 30 yard free kick. Well done to all the girls who never gave up until the final whistle.
Mr Hopper
Subject Leader for PE
A reminder of our weekly sports bulletin: