General

20.02.24

House Pancake Races 2024

At St John’s we challenge our pupils intellectually and encourage them to become successful learners.

We recognise the importance of strong examination results, as GCSEs and A levels can open the doors to higher education and future career paths. However, we also firmly believe that young people should be prepared for a life of learning and self-understanding, and we therefore place equal importance upon examined and non-examined subjects.

The breadth of academic achievement at St John’s demonstrates the varied interests and abilities of our pupils across the curriculum.  For example, in the last few years:

  • Academic success holds strong across the board in 2023 with participation by pupils throughout the School in the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge and Chemistry Race with a pleasing number of gold awards and certificates being presented.
  • We have a rich history developing in the UK Cansat competition and this was another successful year for St John’s STEM group. This year there was a substantial increase with 224 teams entering the national STEM competition. The National Finals selection was whittled down to only 12 schools. After the regional launch, the St John’s ‘HopeSat’ Team was selected to compete in the National Finals at the University of York in May 2023. Pupils were delighted with their ‘Highest Technical Achievement’ award as well as being awarded Gold Award Industrial Cadets by the Engineering Development Trust.
  • We were delighted that pupils secured an impressive win for the third year in a row at the local Rotary Senior Debate Competition 2023, taking the team through to the district semi-finals and pupils winning the English Poetry and Prose Rotary Competition.
  • A group of pupils won the Flair Best Creative Campaign Award – a Future Leaders national competition to create an award-winning awareness campaign to make the reporting of racist incidents mandatory in schools. The pupil EDI group organised an excellent LGBTQ+ art competition, with entries being exhibited and available to purchase with proceeds going to charity.
  • Sarah and Claudia were English Poetry and Prose Rotary Competition Winners, whilst JJ and Harriet were Bronze Crest Award recipients.
  • Our St John’s ‘Eagles’ CanSat team, became the national winners of the UK CanSat Competition 2022 and travelled to Bologna, Italy to represent the UK, and St John’s, in the European finals.
  • Asantewaa, Jacob and Amica won the Rotary Debate Competition 2022.
  • Our pupils received a fantastic number of certificates in the 2022 Senior Mathematical Challenge run by the UK Mathematics Trust – with ten silver awards, and eleven bronze.
  • Lower Sixth pupils Amica and Ben recently entered the 2022 British Physics Olympiad Experiment Project, and achieved the highest possible Gold Award for their investigation into compound pendula.
  • A group of Lower Sixth physicists sat the British Physics Olympiad by Oxford University in 2021. From 5270 entrants, our pupils were outstanding – James and Tom achieved Bronze Awards, Harry and Anthonie achieved Silver Awards and a Gold Award was achieved by Kyra!
  • We are proud to celebrate our pupils fantastic achievements in the 2021 Rotary Young Writer’s Competition: Intermediate: Caitlyn (Poetry Winner), Dylan and Rufus (Prose Runner Up)
    Senior: Harry (Prose Winner), Hannah (Poetry Winner), Esther (Poetry Runner Up)

Examination Results

 

2023

A level results

Among the year group, who gallantly managed much disruption due to the pandemic and approached their A levels as their first experience of public examinations, a quarter of pupils achieved all A*-A grades and almost 80% of grades A*-B. 

GCSE results

The 2023 cohort of St John’s Upper Fifth are celebrating GCSE success this summer with three quarters of all grades awarded 9-7 (A*-A) grades. It is particularly impressive that of the compulsory subjects, 91% of all English Language grades, 87% of all English Literature grades and 80% of all Mathematics grades were awarded 9-7. This year group overcame much disruption due to the pandemic and should be commended for their resilience and strength. 

 

2022

A level results

St John’s Class of 2022 has plenty to celebrate following an outstanding set of A level results, with 32% of grades A*, 65% A*-A and 88% A*-B.

Among the year group, whose final three years at school were seriously affected by Covid-19 and who did not sit GCSEs so approached their A levels as their first experience of public examinations, 20 pupils achieved three or four straight A* grades and over half the year group achieved all A*-A grades.

GCSE results

The 2022 cohort of St John’s Upper Fifth are celebrating another year of outstanding GCSE success this summer. In the first year of ‘normal’ GCSE examinations since the pandemic, the pupils have excelled with an impressive 58% of all grades awarded 9-8 (A*) and 82% of all grades awarded 9-7 (A*-A). A remarkable 30 pupils achieved all 8 and 9 grades with 11 of those achieving straight 9s.

 

2021

A level results

The culmination of two years in Sixth Form at St John’s saw the Class of 2021 celebrating a stellar set of A level results. This exceptional year group previously achieved some of the strongest GCSE results in the School’s history, and they were determined that the disruption of the pandemic would not hold them back.

GCSE results

The 2021 cohort of St John’s Upper Fifth celebrated fantastic GCSE results in 2021. They experienced an unusual two years while studying their GCSE courses but demonstrated that adaptability, hard work and a positive attitude can overcome many obstacles.

 

2020

A level results

Over 20% of the year group achieved straight A*-As and notable successes across the breadth of A level subjects offered at St John’s include 100% A*-B in further mathematics, 90% in history, 83% in English literature and 81% in economics.

GCSE Results

Amongst a strong set of results across the subjects, there were some exceptional departmental results including English language and drama where over 80% of results were 9-8s (A*s) and biology, history, Latin, music, religious studies and physical education which all saw more than 70% 9-8s. Within this overall success, a total of 21% of the year group received straight 9-8 grades (A*s), and nine pupils achieved an impressive run of straight 9s.

 

2019

A level results

2019 results saw another year of strong A level results and exceptional personal achievements.  Almost half of grades achieved were A*/A grades, with well over a quarter of pupils receiving straight A*/A grades (an impressive increase from 2018).  Four out of five grades were A*-B and the pass rate was 100%. Furthermore, this cohort achieved the highest number of Oxbridge and Ivy League places in recent years.

GCSE results

In the first year in which all subjects studied at St John’s have been graded on the 9-1 grade system, implemented to allow greater distinction between top performing candidates, a quarter of grades received by St John’s pupils are at the demanding grade 9 level and over three quarters of results are grade 7-9 (the equivalent to A grade and above). Within these strong overall results, some outstanding departmental performances include nearly 50% of English language grades received being a 9, history receiving nearly three quarters of grades at an 8 or 9 and 80% of GCSE mathematics grades being at 7-9.