Durham Johnston School officially opened

Jun 29 2010 by Neil McKay, The Journal

A FLAGSHIP secondary school which made history by becoming the first ever to hold a government cabinet meeting was officially opened yesterday.

Durham University chancellor and world-renowned travel writer Bill Bryson performed the honours at Durham Johnston School in Crossgate Moor.

Durham Johnston was the first to be completed under Durham County Council’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, a scheme which is now in doubt following multi-million pound cut-backs announced by the new coalition Government.

The announcement that Durham Johnston was to get a new £25m building to replace the previous two-site school was made by the Labour government in 2005, two weeks before a General Election.

The school moved into the new building last September, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown held his first Cabinet meeting in a school during a visit by his ministers to Durham in February this year.

Carolyn Roberts, headteacher of the 1,500 pupil school, said yesterday: “This is a great day for Durham Johnston celebrating our new lives together in our beautiful new building after 30 years apart.

“ We are honoured that the Chancellor of the University, Bill Bryson, performed this simple ceremony crowning a year which also saw us make history nationally, by becoming the first school ever to host a Government Cabinet meeting.”

Durham County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Claire Vasey, said: “Durham Johnston is leading the way on the shape of things to come for education in our county. I am immensely proud of what the pupils, parents, staff, governors and the council have achieved through hard work and dedication.”