Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, Durham

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a happy and thriving school in the heart of Durham City. We believe that each word in our school name is hugely important and is linked directly to our ethos and values , and what we seek to do on a daily basis."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include rugby, basketball, badminton, cross-country, drama, choir, orchestra, chess, robotics and STEM.

In 2026, pupils at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 56.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.6 in County Durham and 47 across England.

66% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in County Durham and 47% in England.

That is up from 55.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.18: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38, against 60.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 22.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 328 families put Durham Johnston Comprehensive School as their first choice and 783 named it as one of their preferences, for 257 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 71 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Durham Johnston Comprehensive School are St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 56.5); Framwellgate School Durham (1.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 48.9); Durham Academy (1.7 miles, Attainment 8 39); and Belmont Community School (2.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.6).

Durham Johnston Comprehensive School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

500 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Durham Johnston Comprehensive School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).

Of the 258 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 25% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 164 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 73% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 13% into work. 58% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

14.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 139 pupils (8.3%) received SEN support and 34 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Durham Rail Station, about 930 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Johnston School Bus Park (n-bound), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Durham Johnston Comprehensive School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 221 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Durham Johnston Comprehensive School issued 185 suspensions, 11 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Durham Johnston Comprehensive School are Neville's Cross Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles), St Margaret's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles), St Oswald's Church of England Aided Primary and Nursery School (1.1 miles) and Framwellgate Moor Primary School (1.2 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.