Durham Johnston Comprehensive School

Durham Johnston is a warm, harmonious school where pupils feel safe, happy and valued. Strong relationships underpin consistently calm behaviour, very high attendance and positive attitudes to learning. Pupils achieve well overall, with particularly strong outcomes for pupils who join with secure primary knowledge, and the sixth-form provision is exceptional. Personal development is a clear strength, supported by a highly effective PSHE programme, strong careers education and an extensive extra-curricular offer. Not all provision is consistently strong. In some lessons, teachers do not check prior knowledge or adapt teaching to address misconceptions and gaps, and support plans for pupils with SEND are not routinely used. Reading and phonics support for a small number of Year 7 pupils was introduced too late, and leaders do not always evaluate the impact of improvement actions precisely enough. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, following a period of exemption after a previous outstanding judgement, and no overall effectiveness grade is awarded under the current framework.

Strengths

• Warm, caring and harmonious ethos with strong staff-pupil relationships
• Pupils feel safe and are proud to be part of the school community
• Behaviour in lessons and around school is consistently calm and purposeful
• Attendance is very high and pupils display positive attitudes to learning
• Pupils achieve well overall, with exceptionally strong outcomes for pupils who start with secure primary knowledge
• Sixth-form provision is exceptional, with strong academic reading and expert teacher support
• Highly effective PSHE programme develops pupils' understanding of democracy, protected characteristics and faith
• Strong careers education from Year 7 and an extensive extra-curricular offer
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Leaders and governors have identified areas for enhancement and adjusted leadership structures to provide additional challenge and support

Areas for Improvement

• SEND support plans are not consistently used by teachers, so some pupils with SEND struggle in lessons
• Reading and phonics support for a small number of Year 7 pupils was introduced too late
• Teaching does not consistently check prior knowledge or adjust lessons to address misconceptions and gaps
• Leaders do not always precisely evaluate the impact of improvement actions
• Achievement is more variable for pupils who do not start secondary school with strong primary knowledge

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.4% of pupils at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Durham Johnston Comprehensive School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.3% of pupils at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Durham Johnston Comprehensive School received £7,713 and spent £7,569 for each of its 1,667 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £592,000 (£355 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Durham · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Durham Johnston Comprehensive School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Durham Johnston Comprehensive School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Durham Johnston Comprehensive School last inspected by Ofsted?

Durham Johnston Comprehensive School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Durham Johnston Comprehensive School have?

Durham Johnston Comprehensive School has 1,667 pupils on roll.

What age range does Durham Johnston Comprehensive School cover?

Durham Johnston Comprehensive School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Durham Johnston Comprehensive School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 56.3, and 66% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Durham Johnston Comprehensive School?

Durham Johnston Comprehensive School is at Crossgate Moor, Durham, County Durham, DH1 4SU.