Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
About Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
Durham Johnston Comprehensive School holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025, but the story of its academic outcomes is more nuanced than that single grade suggests. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.18 is a strong indicator of how much value it adds for its pupils, placing it well above the County Durham local authority average of -0.21. This means that, on average, students here achieve nearly a fifth of a grade more per subject than pupils with similar starting points nationally. In the local authority rankings, the school sits 9th out of 31 secondary schools, putting it in the top third. The school also performs strongly on the basics measure, with 80.3% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. While the overall Progress 8 banding is described as ‘Average’, the school’s maths Progress 8 score of 0.25 and EBacc Progress 8 of 0.23 both suggest particular strength in these areas.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 500 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 Feb 2025From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 10 Apr 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 14:45
Source: durhamjohnston.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices