- Founded in 1901, the school was named after the scientist James Finlay Weir Johnston, a professor of chemistry and mineralogy at Durham University who was committed to free secular education for boys and girls.
- Over time it has operated as a mixed grammar school, technical school, boys’ grammar and comprehensive.
- A £25 million rebuilding project from 2006 to 2009 replaced crumbling, freezing buildings with modern facilities linked via a triple-height, fully glazed central street.
- In 2010 Gordon Brown held a cabinet meeting at the school, the first time one had ever been held in such a setting.
- A strict uniform policy means no jewellery of any kind is allowed to be worn.
Results
A-level 2024 rank: 113=

Grade
%
A*
20.6
A
22.1
B
30.5
A*/A
42.6
A*-B
73.1
GCSE 2024 rank: 210

Grade
%
A*/9/8
25.4
A/7
16.9
A*/A/9/8/7
42.2