6 November 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
It has been a busy first week back, with Year 13 sitting mock exams, Years 9, 11 and 12 taking part in a Baker Clause careers event where we welcomed over 70 guests from 44 educational establishments and employment providers, and Year 7 and 8 settling back into to normal routines after the half term break. Next week, we will, as a community, take time to reflect and mark Remembrance Day. Through a virtual assembly themed around our War Memorial, we remember over one hundred Durham Johnston Old Boys and staff who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. This is just one of the ways in which we honour the long history of our school.
Speaking of history, this year we are celebrating a very exciting milestone: 125 years of Durham Johnston! Our current Year 7s, the 125th cohort of students to start at the school, began our commemorations by braving the autumnal cold one morning before half term to make a very visual reminder of this special anniversary:
Over the rest of the academic year, we will continue to mark 125 Years with other special events and tributes as we think about how much has changed in that time, alongside how much is similar in our core values and aims. Mr Patterson, one of our Associate Assistant Headteachers has written more about our history below.
Have a safe and lovely weekend,
Mrs McFadden
In 1901 Lydia Pearson walked through the doors of the new building on South Street and attended lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, history, English literature, Latin, French, natural science, drawing and music.
125 years later, children from Durham and the surrounding villages continue to enjoy a formative and ambitious education available to all. The focus on a broad, academic curriculum, public service and social justice has remained for over a century. On the 25th anniversary, in 1926, the school adopted a motto, Sapere Aude (Dare to be Wise); we are proud that our motto and wider ethos is a shared identity, across generations.
We will mark our 125th anniversary with a range of events and stories. Plans are in place for a time capsule with contributions from each form class, our five values will be celebrated by five notable alumni and staff, a memorial wall will be erected, artefacts curated and The Johnstonian, the original school magazine, relaunched.
When Lydia Pearson attended her lessons on Monday 2 September 1901, she was realising James Finlay Weir Johnston’s legacy left in his will. After a career in education, including running his own private academy, teaching at the new University of Durham and lecturing at the Royal Society, JFW Johnston died in 1855. He left his estate to “literary, scientific [and] educational object.”
37 years after Johnston’s death his trustees began work on a school, writing “...the only secondary school in the city at that time was for boys who were the sons of men in the professions. We therefore suggest a Secondary Day School for boys and girls.” Provision was made for scholarships awarded pupils whose parents could not afford the fees.
A further eight years later, in 1901, the Chairman of the County Council, Samuel Storey, opened The Johnston Technical School. In his speech he said the school “was not merely to be a centre for the people of Durham. There was a large area of population all round, containing many likely lads and capable girls who also need education and the school would be the centre for the whole of the district.”
On that first September day in 1901, 13 pupils attended; they were the sons and daughters of schoolmasters, clergymen, swimming baths managers, clerks and signalmen (Lydia Pearson). They came from Bowburn, Shincliffe, Langley Park, Ushaw Moor, Gilesgate and Hetton-le-Hole.
This is who we still are – a school for “likely lads and capable girls” from Durham and its villages.
Mr Patterson
Associate Assistant Headteacher
Dates for your diary
A reminder of some upcoming events in school:
Monday 9th November
Year 7 and Year 9 Parental Information Presentations
Meet form tutors: 4.30pm; Presentations 5.00pm
Please note: presentation slides will be shared after the event; if parents have students in both years, it is possible to meet the tutor in one year group and attend the presentation of the other if you wish.
Wednesday 11th November
Deadline for applications to Sixth Form
Monday 23rd November
Year 11 Parents’ Evening
Friday 27th November
INSET - school closed
Flu Vaccination Catch-Up Session – Wednesday 2 December
A Flu Vaccination catch-up session will take place in school on Wednesday 2nd December.
Parents/carers of students who missed the previous vaccination session will receive an email from Intrahealth or the NHS giving them another opportunity to provide consent for the catch-up session.
If you would prefer your child to receive their flu vaccination sooner, you can contact IntraHealth directly on 03333 583 397, option 3.
Public Lecture Series
The next Public Lecture in our series, is on Wednesday 11th November at 3pm, from Mr O’Connor on the topic of Heuristics: Why we trust the bees to solve our computer problems. There's been a real buzz about this one.
Mr Patterson
Associate Assistant Headteacher
Year 9 Programming Club (Hacking Minecraft)
We had an excellent turn-out for our first Year 9 Programming Club session on Wednesday. In this club, students get the opportunity to write Python code to alter the world of Minecraft, including teleportation, enemy generation, and instant house building!
If you are in Year 9 and would like to attend there are still spaces available.
The club won't be on next Wednesday (apparently there is an excellent public lecture taking place) but it will return the following Wednesday 18th November.
Mr O'Connor
Lead Teacher of KS4/5 Computer Science
Spooktacular
The final Thursday of half term saw the return of our annual Halloween Spooktacular.
Over 230 Y7 students joined us for a night filled with fun and games. We danced, we hid, ran and played games - and that was just the staff! But in all seriousness the students were a credit to you and to our school - superb behaviour and engagement throughout! Their dance moves are questionable, but they've got time to learn! Mr Brightside continues to fill the dance floor and I'm here for it.
Huge thanks to the team of staff and sixth formers who give up their time for free, always supporting our "Dare to belong" ethos.
Miss Forbes
Senior Teacher, the House System
Drama Notices
All Extra-Curricular Drama resumes week beginning Monday 9th of November.
Tuesday 10th:
Technical Theatre club in the drama studio- no sign up needed. (2.45-3.45)
Year 9 Drama Club in EN8 (2.45-3.45)
Wednesday 11th:
Year 7 and 8 Drama club for first 30 students who have signed up. (2.45- 3.45)
The notice board next to the drama studio also offers more details of these clubs.
Ms Ayrey
Lead Teacher of Drama
Music Notices
It has been a busy term so far in the Music department, and it has been wonderful to see so many musicians attending rehearsals regularly after school.
We are hard at work preparing for this year’s Christmas Concerts, and tickets will go on sale next week via www.ticketsource.co.uk/durhamjohnston. We look forward to seeing parents, carers and friends there!
Concerts are as follows:
Wednesday 9th December: Instrumental Concert, 7pm
Featuring Training Orchestra, Senior Orchestra, Wind Band, Jazz Band, and Soloists.
Tickets on sale from Monday 9th November.
Friday 11th December: Vocal Concert, 7pm
Featuring Training Choir, Senior Choir, Chamber Choir, the cast of the 2027 musical, and Soloists.
Tickets on sale from Wednesday 11th November.
We are also preparing for joint endeavours with Durham Choral Society, and Gabrielli Roar – watch this space for more news – as well as, of course, the annual school Carol Service at Durham Cathedral at the end of term.
Mr Haworth
Subject Leader for Music
PE News
It has been excellent this week to welcome into school members of the Durham Fives club. They have been talking to our Year 7's about this exciting sport where players wear gloves to hit the ball against the wall to score points. It is played a court similar to a squash court. Those who were interested in trying this sport have been invited to a taster session next week.
On Tuesday afternoon our Year 7 netball team hosted Dame Allan's in the National Cup. We started slowly but improved with every quarter playing some excellent netball. Unfortunately, we just couldn't get back into the game eventually losing 13-9. After school our Year 7 & 8 netball teams were at Framwellgate for league games. We dominated both games as our Year 7s won 22-2 and our Year 8s won 25-4 keeping both teams top of the league. POMs were Dottie B and Georgie D.
Also on Tuesday, our U15 girls’ football team were at St Joseph's in the National Cup. Unfortunately, this team picked up lots of injuries over half-term and we were unable to field a full team. We still played a friendly match and gained many positives from a battling performance by all the girls - many who had to play out of position.
On Wednesday afternoon, our Year 8 basketball team travelled to English Martyr's School for a Junior NBA tournament. We finished runners-up after a comfortable victory against the hosts in our final match. The second round of this competition takes place after Christmas where hopefully we can secure two victories to take us through to the play-offs. Ben S was POM.
Also on Wednesday, our Year 10 football team took on Carmel in the County Cup. We started slowly on a bobbly pitch, but soon took control going on to reach the next round with a great 7-0 victory. Joint POMs were Alfie B-L and Louie H.
To complete a busy Wednesday, our Year 7 boys’ football team hosted Cramlington School in the National Cup. We scored in the first minute to set the tone for a high scoring game which we eventually won 6-4. Harrison R scored a hattrick and was joint POM with Hugh R.
Yesterday, all of our cross-country teams were at Stewart Park, Middlesbrough competing in the north-east regional round of the English Schools Cup. The best schools from as far away as Berwick and Harrogate took part. We were the only school from the north-east to have all six teams qualify for this event. All of our teams produced excellent performances, finishing in the top 6 schools. Our Junior boys’ and girls’ teams produced the best runs as they qualified for the National Finals which take place at Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire on Saturday 5th December. The highlight of the day was the performance of the junior girls who won their race by over 20 points, getting 4 of our runners in the top 11 places. They go into the national finals ranked in the top 10 schools in the country.
After school yesterday our Year 7 girls’ football team travelled to Whitburn in the national Cup. This was a very close game played in difficult conditions. We had chances to win the match, but we eventually lost 2-1. This was a strong team performance which should give us confidence for the season ahead.
Finally, good luck tonight to our Year 8 football team who take on Monkwearmouth in the County Cup.
Mr Hopper
Subject Leader for PE
A reminder of our weekly sports bulletin: