Durham Johnston Comprehensive School

As a result of their presence in the world, "(the Durham Johnston students) will take to heart the school's motto and boldly seek for wisdom."
For a lengthy amount of time in history, Durham Johnston has played a vital role in County Durham.
It has variously served as a comprehensive school, a boys' grammar school, a mixed grammar school, and a technical school.
"Dare to be smart," or Sapere Aude, is the school's motto.
Susan Johnston, the widow of JFW Johnston, who passed away in 1855, bequeathed money to the County Council that was used to form Durham Johnston in 1901.
James Finlay Weir Johnston, a chemistry professor at Durham University, is honoured by the name of the institution.
With 13 students, the Johnston School debuted in 1901.
The present building has been criticised so frequently at annual speech days that this year's suggestion that construction should start in 1950 was greeted with cautious applause.
Prior to that, it should be noted that both former and current Johnstonians agree that the school's current name should be kept because it refers to its founder, Professor Johnston.
Thus, Christopher Storey, the third headmaster of the school, concluded his inaugural award day speech by saying: "What the future holds, no one can exactly say."
The long-awaited new building has been promised, but regardless of whether it materialises, work must and will continue; boys will continue to find knowledge and experience here as well as skills of the mind, hand, and muscle; they will take to heart the school's motto and courageously seek out wisdom; and the world will be a better place because of their presence in it and their abiding faith in the high standards of work and conduct that the school has always strived to uphold.
When the school was finally started in 1950, it was said to be "built on a 22-acre green field site at Crossgate Moor alongside the Great North Road... retaining a view of Durham Cathedral from many of the classrooms." It was also said to have good facilities for physical training that had been "so long yearned for by the masters and boys in the present school" as well as modern dining facilities.
On the occasion of the school's 50th anniversary, one of the teachers penned the following in the school newspaper, The Johnstonian: "Let us here salute the memory of our founder and pay grateful tribute to all those who helped establish the traditions of the school within the walls of the 50-year-old building that we have now outgrown, lest we seem ungrateful to him.
When the new school opened, there were 34 boys in the sixth form, and Headmaster Storey's wish came true: "Now is the winter of our discontent made lovely summer!"
Additionally, the name of our founding father will continue to appear in the name "The Johnston Grammar Technical School."
School in Durham Johnston nowadays is significantly different.
The current Durham Johnston neighbourhood was developed following the abolition of grammar schools in County Durham in 1979.
Years 7 and 8 were located at Whinney Hill, while grades 9 through upper sixth were housed in the Grammar School facilities. Durham Johnston Comprehensive School operated as a split-site school for 30 years. (Durham County Council proposed in 1982 to shut down the sixth forms at Gilesgate, Framwellgate Moor, and the school and build a sixth form college on the Wearside site.
Planning blight was brought about by succeeding years and governments, and dreams were again postponed until the school buildings had advanced stages of decay.
However, it was renovated between 2006 and 2009 thanks to the efforts of Headteacher Richard Bloodworth (1999–2004) and Chair of Governors Roberta Blackman–Woods (now an MP for the City of Durham).
In a meeting and open consultation held in February 2010, Gordon Brown's Labour Cabinet praised the school for its dedication to academic success, social fairness, and the future of the world.
It was the first comprehensive school to be accepted into the Financial Times' top 1,000 schools in October 1998. It also frequently appears in the Sunday Times Parent Power survey and is the top-performing school in England's North East.
The Durham Johnston school community raised money in 2011 to relocate and rededicate the school's war memorial, which honours 111 heroes.
In memory of the 36 former pupils and one teacher who lost their lives in the Great War, Mr. Whalley suggested building a memorial.
It served as a monument in memory of the 37 former pupils who lost their lives in the Great War.
Two teachers returned to the school after the war, Mr Hutchinson and Mr Dent, and a third, Mr Cousins, returned, but retired, due to war related stress, in 1921. '
Subscriptions from parents, former and current school employees, and students helped erect the memorial.
It comprises of a light oak mural panelling with a classic design, as well as a remembrance desk and some matching seats.
On the memorial desk is a brass inscription plate on which is engraved: 'A tribute from the boys of 19181920 to the Johnstonians who served and fell in the war, 19141918.
' The memorial has been erected in the school assembly hall and will daily remind the boys of the patriotism and self-sacrifices of Johnstonians during the dark days of the war.'.
A large number of former Johnstonians were involved in World War II with a significant number losing their lives.
Two new panels were commissioned for the war memorial and money was, again, raised from contributions.
The memorial was removed in July 1954 and placed upon the left wall in the new school hall.
It remained in place until the spring term of 2009, when it was removed and stored in preparation to be rededicated in the new Durham Johnston school hall.
It was reinstalled in the third building and dedicated in March 2011 in recognition of the 90th anniversary of Johnston, with students and members of the local community raising the money for the initial memorial.
A new plaque has been installed with a quotation from the Proverbs to acknowledge money raised by the current students.
When senior teschers explained that they intended to raise money to relocate the memorial one of the school's Year 7 students, Rachel Scrivens, chose to volunteer the first pound raised.
A tradition was established after 1948 that fresh flowers would always be put next to the memorial during term time and that a British Legion wreath of Flanders poppies would be placed next to the memorial on Remembrance Day.
Each year the current students and staff observe a minute's silence in the Atrium of the new building and the school has completed a significant amount of research into the lives of the men named on the war memorial.
Notable on the war memorial is Captain Isidore Newman, an old boy of the school and linguist who was attached to the SOE during the second world war.
Durham Johnston has a long history and has been located on an important historical site since the 1950s.
Johnstonian Names Some areas in the new building are named after James Finlay Weir Johnston (17961855) who bequeathed money to set up a school for girls and boys, teaching science and the arts to ordinary young people of Durham, rich or poor.
Battlefield NamesSome of the areas are named after the great battle of Neville's Cross which was fought on the site in 1346.
It was between the English and the Scots: the English won, but the school has a long tradition of employing Scottish teachers and JFW Johnston was also of Scottish descent.
The ground floor of the 2-storey block is David Street, named after the defeated Scottish king.
The ground floor of the 3-storey block is Edward Street, named after the victorious English king, though he was not at the battle.
She was the English queen, much more involved in the battle than Edward.