Eaglet 2024

The Eaglet 2024

The Eaglet 2024

The Eaglet 2024

Headmaster’s Introduction

I have great pleasure in sharing with you, for the last time as Head of St John’s College School, the 2024 edition of the Eaglet magazine. The Eaglet is written by the children and celebrates some of their many highlights and achievements from the 2023 - 2024 academic year. Our children continue to amaze and delight and the following pages will provide a glimpse into the range of accomplishments that took place within our classrooms and beyond. Our aim in this publication is to convey the broad curriculum the children cover and the real sense of purpose, drive, creativity and joy that an education at St John’s involves. We pride ourselves on being a close and supportive community where the children are cared for, nurtured and are all encouraged to thrive. Intellectual enquiry, academic curiosity and a love of learning lie at the heart of every child’s education here.

At the latter end of the 2023 - 2024 academic year, we entered the prestigious Independent Schools of the Year Award in the Pre-Prep category and were delighted to have won. This was announced in October 2024 and we are incredibly proud of our Pre-Prep team, whose dedication and nurturing spirit embody the heart of our ethos here at St John’s. Their innovative teaching and learning methods, coupled with our tailored Emotions for Learning (E4L) curriculum and emphasis on play-based learning, make all the difference. The judges remarked on how important the skills we are teaching within E4L are in equipping our children for the complexities of the modern world and how we are continuing to develop these skills as children move through the school.

The Choristers continue to thrive under the leadership of the Director of College Music, Christopher Gray. Following a hiatus during the pandemic years and with the change of Director, they are now back to touring and performed at the Luxembourg Philharmonie, the Royal Concertgebouw, the TivoliVredenburg and St Stevenskerk, amongst other venues in Europe before Christmas in 2023. Their concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam was broadcast throughout Europe including here in the UK. They return to Europe in Christmas 2024 and are off the USA in 2025. The Choristers also recently held their second family-friendly ‘Cushion Concert’ where young children were welcomed to sing with them in the College Chapel.

The St John’s community was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our much-loved Head of Geography, Miss Anne-Marie Grant in January 2024 and tributes to Anne-Marie can be found in the ‘In Memory’ section. A special service was held in St John’s College Chapel on 4th July. Last May, six teams of St John’s staff took part in the Box End Triathlon Relay raising an incredible £1,278 for the Macmillan Cancer charity in her memory.

Moving forward, our focus remains on continuing to enhance our exceptional pastoral care and maintaining high standards of teaching and learning. We are also committed to further embedding our work on equality, diversity, and inclusionrecognising the importance of this within our school community. Additionally, we have started significant work to promote sustainability on our sites by implementing energy-efficient practices and resource management as well as beginning plans for a significant decarbonisation project. The school has also appointed a Development Director to help us move towards establishing an endowment for bursaries through a significant fundraising campaign.

In this increasingly complex world with a growing number of headwinds for schools, we endeavour to remain adaptable whilst staying rooted to our core values. We are certain that our unwavering dedication to prioritising the well-being and development of our children will equip them to thrive and become their best selves. I know this is something about which my successor, Sarah Wright, is also passionate and I have no doubt the school will continue to go from strength to strength as it starts a new chapter in its history in September 2025.

Neil Chippington

Emotions for Learning (E4L)

“We have been learning about our body parts and how to calm down.”

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Evie James (aged

“During an action story, you keep your hands on your partner, so they know where you are. It calms me down after the excitement in the playground and makes me feel very sleepy.”

Diniz Patil Soberano de Oliveira (aged 7)

“We have been focusing on feelings and learning about the importance of kindness and how to take care of others.”

Amber Liang (aged 7)

We have been learning about our feelings and how to control ourselves. When we are sad, for example, we need to calm down and by the end of the day we will hopefully be happy. We have also created paper versions of ourselves and throughout the day we put them on different coloured flags which correspond to different emotions.

Noa Martinez Forbes (aged 6)

E4L is super helpful as it helps you manage your anger, so that there is not such a massive argument. It is important with helping us solve problems. Each year, since KG, we have learnt more in our E4L sessions and talk about different thing each year, which helps us to learn whether things are right or wrong.

Benedict McDonnell (aged 8)

E4L is great as it helps you learn how to solve problems yourself. There are lots of different techniques that you can use, like Action Story, Stilling, Finger Breathing and Cat Curl. Sometimes, if you can’t solve the problem yourself, you may need a teacher or a friend to help you. Learning more about E4L each year helps us cope with different things and helps us learn how to deal with our emotions, like when we are sad, angry or stressed.

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“With our action stories you simply massage your partner. It makes me feel sleepy too.”

Emily Da Costa (aged 6)

“During Stilling, we lie down after all the excitement and rest after break.”

Lily Brereton (aged 7)

“Stilling gives me a mixture of calm, tired, and happy feelings.”

Sebastian Garstang (aged 7)

Clara Blyth (aged

Play-Based Learning

In the Pre-Prep at St John’s, a play-based approach to learning is used to provide an educational environment that reflects and supports the way children of this age learn. We aim to foster skills of independence, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity and communication, create high levels of engagement and improve learning attainment. This approach has been underpinned by the latest research on learning for young children which demonstrates that children learning through play show improved attainment, well-being and learning dispositions such as creativity. It offers a risk-free environment where children can explore ideas and deepen learning through application and collaboration. It gives children a range of experiences that build connections in the brain, helping them develop physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. Importantly, this involves a balance between child-led discovery time, adult-initiated activities and adult-led activities.

“We collected an army of snails and were keen to find out more before we put them back in their natural environments.”

Sebastian Garstang & Jacob Shotton (both aged 7)

“We went on a bird hunt to see how birdfriendly our school really is. We saw bird boxes high up in trees in the Playing Fields.”

Alisa Iarokha & Celine Liu (both aged 7)

“We created a weaving card and selected shades of blue to weave a sea pattern upon our ‘Earth’ collecting card. After we found leaves we looked through microscopes with a torch below to see the patterns in the veins.”

Sorchia Morpeth-Henderson & Cecily Bennett (both aged 7)

“We joined the Wildlife Trust and went ‘30 days wild’. We made elderflower cordial and did a butterly and moth glider investigation.”

Philip Maisinger & Francis Serjeantson (both aged 7)

We have been writing travel journals for people who do not live in Cambridge about our school days; what we have for lunch, what we learn about, our teachers and what they can find in Cambridge, if they come here.

We decided, as a class, to help nature by making bird and hedgehog homes which we will sell for charity to our parents. I chose to make one for robins as I have so many who come to my garden - I’ve even had five at one time!

Lyra Wylie (aged 7)

“We drew forests and oceans and wrote poems about the importance of Earth. I believe it is important to save the planet because we live on it.”

Charlie Zhou (aged 7)

“As part of our topic we visited Silverstone Museum and learnt about and sat in old-fashioned cars and watched a short video about car racing. I found it fascinating learning about how the pipes in cars work and how they make cars.”

Nina McShane (aged 6)

“We developed our detective skills by learning what different smells were without seeing them. I took nearly all of the smells available to us. Mine included bark, onion, water, bits of carrot and flowers.”

Millie Baker (aged 5)

“For our Titanic topic we made a massive ship from the blocks and experimented with our own icebergs. We found out what happened in salt and fresh water.”

James Marshall & Finch Ato (both aged 7)

Child-Led Learning

We all did a presentation to explain what we would like to focus on and then voted. During the second round we couldn’t vote for our own topic. Then, for the final round, it was down to just three – real life mysteries, fashion and design, and London, and fashion ended up being the winner. So far, we have written messages to a fashion designer. It is so exciting!

“For our Fashion topic, we visited the V&A in London and saw a piece of artwork with what appeared to be crushed trombones hanging from the ceiling which we all found very interesting.”

Oliver Yao (aged 9)

“At the V&A we explored different exhibitions and saw a big fish statue. We also saw Rafael’s Cartoons, which are huge paintings which depict religious scenes, and if you run along them, they seem to move!”

Oleh Butko (aged 9)

Penelope LaBonte (aged 9)

“We found out about the different events there are in the Paralympics such as Boccia, wheelchair basketball and blind football.”

Richard Sheng & Victor Lord (both aged 8)

We all researched famous people who helped Earth. I chose Mary Anning who survived a near-death experience as a baby when a nearby tree was hit by lightning. If we do not save the Earth, it will be awful for future generations! If the flowers die, then so will the bees, and then there will no longer be as much fruit or even food. If the sea is full of rubbish, the fish will die, and we will not be able to swim in the sea.

Evie James (aged 7)

I’ve really enjoyed our chosen topic so far, because we’ve studied lots of fun things. Soon, we will be able to bring in food from our chosen country and also create a fact file about it. I’m really looking forward to making our own stalls and bringing traditional food along from our country of choice so that others can taste the food. I love how we are able to follow our own interests, for instance, a friend of mine has chosen to study Nepal and I’m keen to study Scotland.

Erik Maclennan (aged 9)

“I really love the fact that we can lead the topic and that we can pick any topic, so long as we haven’t done it previously. I’m excited about learning about how people design things, like cars or planes.”

Hugo Leslie (aged 9)

“We have learnt about what makes up a country, and I have decided to study Germany, partly because my great granny on my dad’s side is from there.”

Edward Fawcus (aged 9)

Mindfulness & Tai Chi

“Tai Chi means ‘supreme ultimate system’ in ancient Chinese; we’ve been learning about the different elements – fire, water and metal. It’s very calming and relaxing.”

Jing Jin (aged 9)

We have been on a Paws b Mindfulness course in Form 2 and part of this is understanding more about how our brains work and how they are connected to our feelings. We learnt that ‘flipping the lid’ occurs when you have an uncomfortable feeling in your brain and become hot or nervous. If the feelings expand, you can become angry or worried.

Henry Watson (aged 8)

Tai Chi calms me down a lot and it’s a nice change from our regular breathing exercises. It’s fun guessing the elements every week, and what we’ll be doing in the session. I’d say it connects the mind and body well, and the calm music helps with that too.

Penelope LaBonte (aged 9)

“Mindfulness has been helpful for my well-being as, when I have been running around, it calms me right down.”

Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

“In our .breathe Mindfulness sessions we often do a ‘beditation’ which I love because we get to rest and go to sleep.”

Grace Lambert (aged 11)

“Mindfulness helps to calm me down when I am angry so I don’t say things I know I will regret.”

Libby Dunton (aged 12)

“Mindfulness helps me to balance out my feelings.”

Dotty Gardiner (aged 12)

“I have learnt that mindfulness is the study of centring your mind and being in the present.”

Isobel Bispham (aged 12)

Mindfulness is helpful when you need to calm down and relax. We are doing a .breathe Mindfulness course and, as part of this, we were asked to examine and then taste part of a chilli in a lesson. I did not like it at all but when we were asked to carefully examine a chocolate Minstrel and to use our senses to eat it mindfully, it was the best piece of chocolate I have ever tasted and I appreciated it so much more.

Stanley Brown (aged 13)

We discussed that the mind is not just in the brain, and that the prefrontal cortex is the most important part of the brain and is used all the time – whether you are relaxing to doing sport. The mindfulness practice that I find the most helpful is when we sit on a chair and focus our mind on our breathing to help us become much calmer.

Wulfstan Aeberhard (aged 9)

In Paws b we talked about how the brain works, what it feels like and what changes when we count our breaths per minute. For me, petal breathing is the most effective mindfulness practice because it’s a good way to calm down.

Theo Leslie (aged 9)

“Learning about executive functions has helped me aim for my true potential, reach my limits and then break them.”

Mindsets for Learning

I loved learning about Executive Functions and how to become more organised, how to keep a healthy brain, and how to maintain focus in lessons in school and also when doing prep. I also loved using the WOOP method which is a tool designed to help you start tasks and achieve your goals effectively. By combining your wishes, outcomes, obstacles, and plans, you create a structured approach that improves your motivation and focus.

Alice Allpress (aged 12)

“Executive Functions have taught me how to think in a different way to solve problems, plan and carry out tasks.”

Poppy Slater (aged 11)

“Task initiation really helps me at school.”

Farid Emam (aged 11)

Vincent Carvalho (aged 12)

Challenge by Choice

Challenge by Choice is really important for your learning. The idea is that you can decide what level of work to challenge yourself with and you can do a little bit less if you do not feel as confident with a task, or you can push yourself if you feel able to.

Archie Formston (aged 12)

“I like how Challenge by Choice challenges my mind through learning new things. I tend to go for the middle level because it improves my learning.”

Cormac Hamilton (aged 10)

“I personally find green challenging enough for almost every subject apart from English, when I always choose blue, because I love it so much!”

Theo Taylor (aged 9)

English

“It was nice to have a poet in school that isn’t so serious - he was really fun and exciting.”

Paul Lyalls Poetry Day Workshop

We knew that Paul Lyalls was coming for Poetry Day, but we didn’t know how good he was going to be. It was a great surprise! Assembly was so much fun. He had lots of different ways of presenting his poems. It was really cool how he told us to draw round our hands and then we wrote poems putting similes onto each finger and we made them into a poem. I loved how he expressed his poems with his hands and changed his voice.

Alexander Mosher & Ryah Woolfson (both aged 8), Henry Ali & Soraya Ahi-Eggo (both aged 9)

Ruben Hastwell (aged 10)

“It was a really lovely afternoon and Paul read some really funny poems.”

George Henty (aged 11)

“I liked his clever, witty endings to the poems, ‘Oh sausage - I will bite your head off!’”

Singhé Ato (aged 10)

“He was a bit like a cartoon character - very funny!”

Theodore Lynn (aged 10)

Sixth Form Poetry Evening

I am performing a poem called ‘Door Shut’ for Poetry Evening which is all about a nightmare with the dark being the main subject. In preparation for the group poem and also for my individual poem. I have learnt the three steps: step 1 volume 4, step 2 movement and step 3 freeze. This really helps us to focus on the poetry reciting.

Munro

13)

Our English class prepared a group choral poem and we have worked hard for a long time to get it ready for the stage and the performance itself. My solo poem went well, which I was glad about, and I was not too perturbed about reading it aloud in front of an audience.

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“I loved our group poem as it was the last performance we did together as a class at St John’s.”

Sophia

Wickham (aged 13)

“My

poem is about different places I like and saying each one in the accent of the place.”

Carmen Navarro (aged 13)

Megan

(aged

Kevin Ke (aged

Book Week

There were so many books to choose from at the Book Fair. I’d like them to come back again soon so I can choose another book!

Wulfstan Aeberhard (aged 9)

“Andy Seed showed us how to understand hieroglyphics. I went in the coffin which felt very strange and cramped but also fun.”

Beatrice Chowdhury (aged 9)

“I loved it when Mr Hallybone got involved in the storytelling. At first he didn’t really want to!”

Saffron Bentley (aged 7)

“Karl Nova was incredible. He recited some of his poems from his book, ‘Rhythm and Poetry’. He is also a hip hop artist; he rapped to our ideas!”

Aiden Wee (aged 11)

Annelise Gray was brilliant, she was so energetic. I love how she puts all the energetic moments in her stories. It makes you feel like you are really in the story and you feel what the characters are feeling.

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“I loved learning facts about chariot racing. I’m loving reading Annelise Gray’s book.”

Benjamin Knowles (aged 8)

“I have never laughed so much in my life as when Karl Nova visited!”

Joshua McGrory (aged 11)

Joshua Evershed (aged

Karl Nova

Thomas Taylor

Anna Conomos

Jo Cotterill

Winners of

the St John’s 500 Words Short Story Competition

Liam dragged the boat further towards the sea, leaving a thin mark on the soft, wet sand. Charlotte stood facing the misty beyond, to which they were to travel. Their bare feet sunk into the sand, leaving an imprint in the shape of their foot. Charlotte was younger than Liam but just as clever. They had set off at the break of dawn, on their little boat, the free spirit. The cold gripped them and was slowly draining their strength. The mist hung over them like a bedspread and waves lapped the shore, like the tongue of a great sea monster. Liam beckoned Charlotte over to the boat and she hopped on. He followed after her, clambering up the feeble steps. They had set off to find their mother, who had disappeared almost eight years before. They had only one clue. From when they were little.

Their little boat floated through the sea, cutting through the waves like a knife. He couldn’t believe his father had even allowed it, he himself wanted to go too, but he was too old, and could not handle the choppy seas. They asked him if he knew much about where she went, but all that he could supply was that she had travelled north, and kept on travelling north.

Extract by Singhé Ato (aged 10) Forms 3 & 4 winner of the 500 word Short Story competition

We live in a colourful house, which is a reflection of our family’s vibrant personalities: Mom, Dad, my older brother Jake. They have to navigate a world where letters jumbled and danced. I seemed to glide through with ease, the only one without dyslexia in the family. I often found myself feeling a step ahead, not just in literacy, but in all matters requiring critical thinking or complex reasoning. There was a part of me that thrived on this difference; a quiet sense of superiority that I couldn’t always suppress. It wasn’t just about being able to read without trouble; it was about understanding systems and patterns that seemed out of their reach. Our kitchen fridge was a collage of chaos, adorned with Mom’s scribbled notes and dad’s backwards shopping lists. Jake’s school books were like miniature mazes of notes and incorrect spellings, an example of his dyslexic struggles. Amongst all of this I found comfort in order and precision. It wasn’t that I wanted to be right all the time, but I had this compulsion to correct, to organise, and to make sense of the disorder. Maybe it was my way of feeling useful in a world that often seemed banal.

Extract by Dev Patel (aged 13)

Forms 5 & 6 winner of the 500 word Short Story competition

Young

Shakespeare Company Workshops

“Watching the actors perform in such a vibrant and energetic way made the play easier to understand and the actors always stopped to check we knew the plot.”

Alanis Vermande (aged 11)

“The actors added so much emotion when performing the play which made it easier to understand. I was the Priest!”

Emeliano Fregonese-Nazarov (aged 11)

‘Mind’s Eye’ Published Articles

Trans Sport

Should transgender athletes be banned from the Olympics and other sporting events? Some sports, such as England Field Hockey, argue that because it’s a non-contact sport, trans athletes should be allowed to play. Others suggest that there should be a separate category for transgender athletes. Roughly 0.5% of the UK’s population identify as transgender and under 1% of the population become professional athletes.

The case against transgender women taking part in women’s sporting events is based on the argument that trans women have an unfair advantage because of their strength. When boys are aged 13-14 they experience changes in their bodies making them physically stronger than girls. This is why senior schools and sports clubs often don’t play mixed sports because the boys would have an advantage which would be unfair for the girls.

Extract from ‘Trans Sport’ by Hattie Milton (aged 13)

Beauty Rules

Social media has had a huge and negative impact on the mental health and social confidence of young girls. It’s always ‘Oh, she’s so beautiful, I wish I had her face’ or ‘I wish I had her stomach’ or ‘I wish I was that skinny’. Social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram and Snapchat, have caused girls’ insecurities to skyrocket.

Perhaps a solid example would be helpful. Girls will be scrolling through TikTok and come across a GRWM (Get Ready With Me) and there will be a drop-dead gorgeous girl presenting the video. She will most likely be ranting about the ‘imperfections’ of her face and skin, although she looks beautifully unreal, even before putting on her makeup. She will continue to ‘get ready’ and coat her face in serums and foundations that will influence all the girls watching her, thinking they need to wear makeup that will maybe make them ‘pretty’, when in reality it would hide their natural beauty.

Extract from ‘Beauty Rules’ by Alyse Baines (aged 13)

Under Cover

Banksy is an Artist with an exceptional talent of finding art where no one else can. He looks at everyday objects and makes them into a work of art, using stencils and spray paint. No one really knows what Banksy’s real name is, but people say his actual name is Robert Banks. There have been occasional interviews with Banksy, and he hides his identity wearing an old cap and a t-shirt over his face, leaving his eyes uncovered. He has managed to keep his identity a secret since 1993, as he could face criminal charges for vandalism, property destruction and criminal mischief. In one interview, the interviewer said, ‘We don’t mind passing your details to the police.’ Banksy only answered with, ‘Well, what details have you got?’.

Extract from ‘Under Cover’ Megan Munro (aged 13)

The Apple Cart

Apple is the world’s most valuable company with an estimated net worth of 3.01 trillion US dollars. Apple has sold more than 2.4 billion iPhones with a revenue of 65.77 billion US dollars. Apple shares have risen by 817% since the company first went public. So how does Apple sell so many products? What is their secret? Sure, Apple watches, iPhones and iMacs all have a common theme: they are reliable, they have sleek designs and the manufacturer quality is superb. But it is not only the product itself that promotes sales as Apples uses far fewer visible ways to psychologically manipulate us into buying their products. I am not saying that it is a bad or a negative thing at all - merely that it is interesting to see how we are subconsciously steered into making Apple the biggest company on the planet.

Extract of ‘The Apple Cart’ by Dev Patel (aged 13)

Wait Up!

I bet at some point in your life you’ve had to wait for something. The results of something important? An exam? An interview? Or maybe something not so important: You just sent that rant to your best friend? See those three dots on the bottom of the screen? I know you’re feeling that slight dread rising up in your stomach, that boulder in your throat. Tests? Hard. Test results? Horrible. But why?

The feeling of uncertainty is almost worse than disappointment, and studies show that the less you know, the more you worry. Often, people will turn down a chance for a better job on the off-chance they might not get it. This fear is often tied into anxiety, and people with anxiety are prone to a heightened fear of the uncertain.

Extract from ‘Wait Up!’ Isobel Bispham (aged 12)

Saved by the Dog

From my own experience of owning a dog I have first-hand understanding of what it is like caring for an animal. My dog has definitely influenced my life for the better. Are you stressed or suffering from anxiety? Are you lonely? Do you want to get fit? Do you want to change your state of mind for the better? Dogs help with all these things.

Extract from ‘Saved by the Dog’ by Sam Smith (aged 13)

Museum of Classical Archaeology Classics

“We visited the Cambridge University’s Museum of Classical Archaeology and we looked at replica Greek and Roman statues and drew some of them. There are 450 plaster casts in the Museum.”

Cindy Di (aged 11)

Greek

I have really enjoyed taking part in Greek Club because I love learning about all the Greek myths. The Greek alphabet also fascinates me too! I also love Latin and I am now able to link my knowledge from Latin to Greek.

Aline Halban Taylor (aged 11)

I enjoy Greek Club because it teaches us facts and stories we don’t learn in other lessons like Latin. We focus far more on finding out about Ancient Greek philosophers, important people and Greek myths, rather than purely words and letters.

Mei Mei Noble (aged 13)

“I have found it so interesting being able to explore Ancient Greek as it is a language the Romans took so much inspiration from.”

Ethan Hayes Fernández (aged 13)

“My favourite club is Ancient Greek because I really enjoy learning about ancient languages and the culture.”

Tom Bennington (aged 11)

‘Ludi Scaenici’ Latin Play

We started by coming up with ideas of what we wanted to do and how the plot might develop before writing the script together in Latin. Our teachers helped along the way before we began rehearsing and adding in the drama elements, ready for the competition.

Arthur Toner (aged 13)

I really enjoyed planning and brainstorming ideas for the Latin play and helping with the writing process. We had many comedic scenes, such as the battle scene against Boudicca. It was an amazing experience and I would really recommend it to anyone interested in Latin and Drama.

Lorcan Hamilton (aged 13)

The play was a really good opportunity to show our Lacin skills at the end of our time at St John’s and it was really fun taking our play to the Perse Upper for the competition. Even though we didn’t win, I am proud of our play as it was very funny and our costumes and wigs were as well.

Hattie Milton (aged 13)

“The Latin play was made even better as we had the freedom to write the script ourselves, which gave an extra sense of achievement when it came to performing it on the stage.”

Thomas Kokelaar (aged 13)

Modern Foreign Languages

French Plays

I really enjoyed the process of putting together our French plays because it is more freeing as we were allowed to choose the characters and how we performed it. I also enjoyed it because it was a great way to learn new French words and to do Drama both at the same time.

Penelope Tandy (aged 11)

“I prepared for the French plays by learning all my lines and preparing the stage craft with my group. We are performing the ‘Desert Horse’.”

Poppy Slater (aged 11)

“I am performing a play called ‘Vive la révolution’ which means long live the revolution. The best part was making the cardboard guillotine for chopping heads off!”

Anon (aged 12)

I am French so it is really fun helping my friends with their French pronunciation. Our play is very much like the format of St John’s Got Talent and I am the presenter!

Alanis Vermande (aged 11)

French Texts in Book Week

“Dress as a Book Character day was already a really exciting day in Book Week but, in our French lessons, we read picture and chapter books in French. It was a really good test of our language skills!”

Angus Chaney & Hugo Leslie (both aged 9)

Learning French

French has been my favourite lesson because we always do such fun activities and it is varied. I particularly enjoyed writing a letter in French. Our French teacher always makes sure that we know what we are doing which I really like as it gives you confidence in your language abilities.

Felix van den Bos (aged 10)

My favourite French project was when we researched a French sports personality and I chose Yannick Noah. I found this very interesting (and helpful for my French!) as I don’t watch a lot of sports. He has had a very full sporting career.

Cecilia Forsberg (aged 13)

“The teacher makes the lessons fun through her toys and games.”

Rowan Whaley (aged 6)

Queen’s College, Oxford, Anthea Bell Translation Prize

I felt amazingly happy when I was told that I had received a Commendation for the Anthea Bell Translation Prize as I had really enjoyed the challenge of doing the translation. Another reason why I enjoyed taking part in the Translation Prize was because it gave me a chance to translate a bigger text from French into English.

Taking part in the Translation Prize also gave me a chance to compete with my classmates and other children in the country. I felt really pleased and proud of myself for getting a Commendation for this Prize and was happy to see my name on the website!

Charlie Lipscomb (aged 12)

History

Romans & Celts

“It was really fun coming to school dressed as a Roman as we all had different outfits on. We had to ask questions about Boudicca and report back. In the morning we made mosaics and frescos. We had a secret Roman password and we also said ‘salve’ when we went to each stall which meant ‘hello’.”

Auberon Benstead (aged 8)

“In the afternoon we looked in bags at artefacts to see whether the objects were from a soldier or civilian, a Roman or Celt and a man or a woman. We also had to work out what they were!”

Benedict McDonnell (aged 8)

Victorian Diary Entries

I pen down my thoughts and fears as another day of my wretched life as a chimney sweeper. The sun had barely risen when I was rudely awakened from my slumber, greeted by the chilly air that crept through the cracks in our shared quarters. Mother, bless her soul, handed me a morsel of dry bread, her fingers tracing lines of worry across my dirt-streets. My heart heavy with trepidation.

Reaching the first house, I gazed up at its imposing structure, towering above me like a dark giant. With a deep sigh, I grasped my oversized brush tightly and began to daunting climb up the chimney. Each step I took, my heart throbbed with both fear and determination, as I knew I had a dangerous task at hand.......

Santa Ivaskeviciute (aged 11)

“There chimney was small hot and hard to climb. I was brushing and cleaning and my lungs were on fire from swallowing the ash.....”

Magnus Xin (aged 11)

This was the worst day but thankfully it has ended. I had to start work at 6 o’clock in the morning! It was just getting light and it felt like Antarctica it was so cold outside. My clothes were thin and ripped and when we go outside and pick the turnips they felt like they were turning to ice. They didn’t keep me warm at all. The turnip fields were full of children. My fingers felt like they might fall off. They get so cold and sore because when you pick turnips in the cold the leaves are frozen which makes picking harder for our fingers and we stay out in the fields for hours.....

Amber Oates (aged 11)

Form 4’s Victorian Fayre

“Our class was taught by a Headmaster, and we were able to wear gas masks. Being evacuated would probably have been incredibly scary.”

Oscar Churchward (aged 9)

1940s Wartime Day

We were given names of children who were evacuated to Stibbington and saw where the original children lived. Our teacher was quite strict and said that us girls could keep our hats on, but the boys could not. We were given a worksheet on rationing and, for snack, we were given a jam sandwich. I think being evacuated would be a good adventure. I would want to be evacuated, but only with a good guardian, maybe my grandparents or my cousins.

Maria Ferrari (aged 9)

I was ‘Pauline Thomas’ for the day, and I saw her house where she stayed during the war. I found it grimly fascinating that she, at 5 years of age, had to be separated from her 10-year-old brother. Her guardian was hoping for a strong evacuee to help in the garden, but she could still help in different ways.

When we arrived, we pretended to get off the train then looked around the village. After lunch, we drove to a small station and went to a model classroom where we heard a fake war siren and put gas masks on. I think being evacuated would have been quite scary, as you may never have seen your family again and you would not know what would happened to them. We learnt that evacuees had to listen to the person showing them around otherwise they may have had to go to another house.

Wulfstan Aeberhard (aged 9)

Laila Khaled (aged 9)

“I am married to Elizabeth of York. I will let you in on a secret but you have to promise me not to tell anyone! The reason I married her was because it ended the War of the Roses that had gone on for the last 30 years....”

Arya Wajid (aged 10)

Tudor Thoughts

I have been King Henry VII for quite a while but I have been so caught up in all this King work I have not been able to write for some time. I have attempted to create peace between Lancaster and York by marrying Elizabeth of York but still I have attacks from the Yorkists. My biggest problem is that the barons keep making these private armies which really gets under my skin. I have a solution though. First, I will ban private armies. Then, instead of executing them, I’ll make them pay heavy loans and taxes if they do something wrong. This is so that I get money because money equals power and I do not have much. This also means that I have to be very careful with money, and I have been so far but it is not easy. If you’re wondering how I will fine them, I will do it in the court of star chamber.....

Maya Drokov (aged 10)

Everything in the kingdom is peaceful. My marriage to Elizabeth of York is a happy one. Today, while I was eating my breakfast, one of my messengers rushed in and said one of the barons had been found to still have their private army. The punishment for not following the law about no private armies is not hanging or prison, but a big fine....

Alexander Cooper (aged 10)

Form 3’s Tudor Day

Geography

Earth Sciences Iceland Trip

I loved our trip to Iceland. The best part was the lava show as it was so cool to see red-hot lava in real life. Also, on the last day of our trip we got to see a real volcanic eruption happen which was exciting.

Stanley Brown (aged 13)

“I loved the Iceland trip as we were able to see amazing landscapes. I really enjoyed climbing the glacier as well as the caving. The glacier was such a great opportunity to use crampons for the first time.”

Megan Munro (aged 13)

“The Iceland trip was blooming with excitement due to the incredible sights we saw. I loved the hot water lagoons as they were relaxing and also educational.”

13)

“I thought the glacier wouldn’t be that big but it was massive. When we got to the top we were allowed to eat the ice!”

Harry Brown (aged 13)

Jasper Fox Watson (aged

Shimpling Park Farm

“I discovered that modern tractors help harvest fruit and crops much more efficiently and more effectively. They also help because they increase the productivity of the crop.”

At Shimpling Park Farm we learnt that crop rotation is when you rotate the crops because of the amount of nutrients they use. First they have a crop that uses lots of soil, then one that doesn’t use as much and finally there is one that gives back nutrients.

Blythe Weller (aged 10)

Being organic is better for farming because it only uses natural chemicals. Another good thing about being an organic farm is that soil is more fertilised so they get higher yields. Shimpling Park explores natural farming methods to allow soils to thrive.

Max Crosbie (aged 10)

Joshua Cooke (aged 10)

Wandlebury Hill Fort

I liked grinding the corn with the quern stone to make the bread. I also enjoyed weaving a mini wattle wall to take home and learning about the Iron Age roundhouses and the archaeological evidence which has been found at the Hill Fort. We also had the chance to throw javelins, use a slingshot and learn more about the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.

Anon (aged 11)

“We learnt first-hand about Iron Age culture, weaponry, cooking and lifestyle. Wandlebury was a trading fort and we walked in the circular ditch.”

Woosung Lee (aged 11)

“Making the bread was the best part as we winnowed the ears of corn to make flour. When the dough was ready we cooked it on sticks on an open fire.”

Morgan Jeremiah (aged 11)

“I loved that this was a trip into the countryside. We learnt about the history of this magical place and it made me want to return and learn more.”

Poppy Slater (aged 11)

“We found out how roundhouses were made with wattle and daub and a thatched roof, big enough for up to 15 people!”

Penelope Aeberhard (aged 11)

FSC Epping Forest

The trip was educational and fun because of all the experiments on water height, the speed of water, the size and shape of the rocks and the water speed. We learnt about the layers of mud and how some of the layers were permeable and some weren’t. We saw how to use a cork and a metre ruler to check the speed of the water. I loved learning outside the classroom because it cleared my mind and helped me focus on the task at hand. We also got to explore forests and do work in a big outside, open space.

Georgia Chesterfield (aged 13)

We investigated the velocity (speed) of the river by using a biodegradable cork, a metre stick and a stopwatch to measure how quickly the cork would travel past the metre stick in however many seconds. We also measured the width with a tape measure from one end to the other and also we did the depth by using a metre stick and sticking it into different points in the river. Then, we measured the size of the stone by using a 30cm ruler and put the stone next to it and we measured that. Finally, we measured the sphericity of the stones by using a sheet of paper that had all of the information that we needed and then we decided how round it was based on that.

Harry Brown (aged 13)

“This was an extraordinary experience, learning outside helps me focus more and get involved with all possible.”

Victor Baviera Jurado (aged 12)

“We learnt about how a river is formed and the types of rock in the ground and took samples of the mud.”

Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

“Visiting the Cambridge Mosque made everything we had learnt about being a Muslim come to life. We saw Islamic patterns on the walls in the Prayer Hall.”

Cirse MacSwiney (aged 10)

Religious Studies

We have discussed the concept of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that believes that actions that create happiness and oppose actions that cause unhappiness. Utilitarianism also believes ‘the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people.’

Stanley Brown (aged 13)

The fact I most enjoyed learning about during our Synagogue visit was that no one is allowed to touch the The Torah, the Jewish holy scripture. The Torah scroll might get ruined so it is unfurled and a pointer is used instead to protect it.

Imogen Fairley (aged 9)

“The best project was learning about the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali. We found out more about the story of Rama and Sita.”

Arindam Roshan (aged 11)

“We learnt that Christians celebrate Eucharist as a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus, because of his words at the final meal he shared with his disciples.”

Lucas Taylor (aged 10)

Top: Cambridge Mosque & bottom: St Giles’ Church

“During the visit to the Synagogue, I learnt about the Shabbat - the Jewish day of rest. The Torah scroll was interesting because you read Hebrew from right to left.”

Peony Piotrowski (aged 9)

“I really enjoy the style of these lessons as they always have so many areas for discussion about all the wide topics we cover. You can ask questions if you want to find out more about a particular aspect of a religion.”

Aniket Sinha (aged 10)

“My favourite project was the mathematician and computer scientist, Alan Turing. It was a chance to discuss the Enigma and to learn about the codebreaking success at Bletchley Park. Turing once claimed that machines could think like humans. According to Turing, the mind is a computer, and there are no distinctions between minds and machines.”

Sophia Wickham (aged 13)

Top left: Cambridge Gurdwara; top right: Cambridge Synagogue; bottom: Cambridge Buddhist Centre & middle: Hinduism talk

Philosophy

We get the chance to share ideas and to discuss philosophical issues such as the ‘trolley problem’. This problem is designed to question whether it’s ethical to perform an action that harms someone in order to prevent a greater number of people being harmed.

Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

“Philosophy encourages you to become a more critical thinker. I have learnt how to answer a question using reasoninghow, why and what words.”

Lottie Cross (aged 10)

“I really like it when we have big discussions, such as ‘Is God real?’ I learnt how to criticise a statement.”

Cormac Hamilton (aged 10)

“All of our Philosophy discussions are interesting but the best was about a boy and a goat. It taught us to listen to each other and how to make a persuasive point.”

Lukas Knowles (aged 10)

“I learnt about Socrates and also about Plato’s extended metaphor of his ‘Allegory of the Cave’.”

Richard Li (aged 13)

We enjoyed a Philosophy and Critical Thinking workshop with The Philosophy Man and our thinking was really challenged through a variety of engaging and thought-provoking activities and discussions.

Raffaele

Sarno (aged 11)

“The highlight of every Philosophy lesson is how we have reached an ‘answer’.”

Lukas Knowles (aged 10)

“The topics we discuss are always really thoughtprovoking. Once we thought about whether it was ok to do a bad thing for a good reason and my group decided it depended on what the bad thing was.”

Aliyah Auty (aged 9)

“The most interesting Philosophy question was whether we would prefer our lives to be controlled or not controlled.”

Philippa Bishop (aged 11)

“The most interesting question we faced was ‘what is art?’. As with all Philosophy questions there was no right answer which was what makes this subject so interesting.”

Martha Gritten (aged 11)1)

Charities & Community Links

Harvest & Eco Competition

I am in Charities Committee and I feel it is so important to give back to the community and to think wider than the school itself. Donating to the Food Bank at Harvest time is a small way to help people whilst also having fun by collating all the donations and packing them into crates. I love being in the Committee as you get to give something back.

Cicely McDonnell (aged 12)

“I loved the Dobby the House Elf made of potatoes. One category is entering homegrown crops and I entered the tallest sunflower category. Next year I would like to make a Harvest Lego model.”

Grace

Kilsby (aged 9)

I entered the tallest sunflower competition and came first place for the second year in a row. I wanted to enter just for the pure fun of it. I would say that at Harvest time it is very important and kind to help others and that everyone should do this and donate to the Foodbank.

Ryah

Woolfson (aged 8)

The Eaglet

Odd Socks Day for Anti-Bullying Week

It is nice to wear different coloured socks rather than the same school ones as everyone else. In terms of the message of promoting anti-bullying, I think it is vital, as it helps reduce the risk of bullies and unkind behaviour towards others.

Freddie Dolan (aged 9)

“I took part in Odd Socks Day because bullying can make people feel upset and not have the fun they deserve in life.”

Afi Hussain (aged 12)

I wore a pair of odd socks for anti-bullying week because I believe that not one child should be bullied for their clothes, hair style or their skin colour because it is wrong. The more we can do to stop this the better.

Frankie Benstead (aged 13)

“We promote the idea of being kind. This is vital because some bullies might not know how it is making someone feel.”

Cleodie Kornicki (aged 9)

PowerHouse Games

I was lucky enough to be part of PowerHouse Games which was a Power2Inspire charity event with children from other local schools. I found it a great way to meet people who were both older and also younger and to come together to play inclusive and adapted sports together. Another benefit was that I also got to play sports I had never played before like sitting netball, sitting volleyball, blind penalties, kurling and goal ball. I found it a lot of fun and would definitely do it again if I had the chance.

Megan Munro (aged 13)

“I

enjoyed making the guests happy and having great conversations with them. One really wanted my hat! I enjoyed welcoming guests, talking with them, and serving them food and tea. They loved the presents!”

Anabelle Clarke (aged 8)

Senior Citizens’ Parties

I have really enjoyed being on Charities Committee during my time at St John’s and helping to organise the Senior Citizens’ parties. I hope we managed to brighten the guests’ day when they visited and I hope they enjoyed their time with us. It has also been brilliant being able to help raise money for different charities and helping to run the events.

I had a wonderful time chatting to the Senior Citizens about Christmas. I spent some time talking to a lady and was excited to find out that her name was Florence as that is my sister’s name. In addition to our conversations, I sang Christmas songs with my choir. I could tell that they were having a wonderful time, as they were enjoying the food and were smiling.

Isabelle Lazarus (aged 13)

Nancy Reed Herbert (aged 7)

Byron House Summer Fair

My enterprise stall was called the Sock Mystery Game. We had a washing line on which we put socks with either prizes or everyday items in them. You had to roll ping pong balls towards them, and you had to guess what was in the sock that ball rolled towards. We had lots of people who came to our stall and raised £20.50.

Laila Khaled (aged 9)

“I played Hook a Duck where we had to throw a sponge at a duck and Teddy Tombola in which you picked a number out of a tin and if the same number was on a teddy, you won it.”

Arabella de Graaf-Rose (aged 6)

“I enjoyed going to the Lucky Dip game stall. It seemed like effort had been put into making the prizes, which were homemade badges and stickers. I enjoyed also throwing vegetables through SpongeBob’s mouth, as it was fun and easy.”

Tara Roshan (aged 8)

Love in a Box

“I took part in this because I believe that everyone deserves to have a merry Christmas and I hope that my box makes someone happy and smile.”

Alice Inglis (aged 12)

“I wanted to give a Love in a Box because I believe everyone deserves a gift.”

Davi Saibrosa (aged 12)

“We loved pond dipping at Wandlebury. We caught minibeasts in nets in the grass and hunted under logs.”

Bethany Nixon & Phoebe Evershed (both aged 5)

Science & STEM

I really found our Sports Science project fascinating. My favourite of these lessons was when we compared our reaction times to each other and even to Usain Bolt!

Harry Brown (aged 13)

One of my favourite Science experiments was the carbon one and the aim was the find whether carbon would become lighter in water (it did). I found it interesting as carbon is the only non-metal that can conduct electricity.

Megan Munro (aged 13)

During our project on energy in different types of food we heated up a gummy bear and it set on fire as part of chemical changes. The light that was emitting from it looked just like fireworks.

Inese Khaled (aged 12)

“We searched for fossils at King’s Dyke Nature Reserve and we found lots of ammonites. 140 million years ago this place would have been under the sea. We also used binoculars to see bird from the hides on the Reserve.”

Will Plugge & Harvey Williamson (both aged 8)

I found the DNA project really interesting. I liked learning that DNA is the genetic code which makes up genes, which are responsible for giving an organism a specific characteristic. It was good to find out that a DNA’s genetic code has all the instructions humans, plants and animals need to reproduce. The genetic makeup of an organism is its genome which, in all plants and animals, is made of DNA.

Charlie Lipscomb (aged 12)

“The particles experiments were my favourites, for example, when we dropped a ball in sand to calculate the gravitational potential energy. Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has by its position above the surface of the Earth.”

Billy Malyon (aged 13)

We did an experiment where we had all different types of rocks. We squirted water and then vinegar onto the rocks and tested if they were still hard enough and if they fizzed. Some of us also put the rocks in line from hardest to softest. It was really fun, and I think anyone would enjoy this if they could try this!

“I liked using the Visking tube to model the digestive system and show which substances can pass through its lining. It helped me understand that glucose can pass through.”

Mateo Fairén-Gallego (aged 12)

Charlotte Holly (aged 8)

National Science Quiz

Science is one of my favourite subjects, especially since I got a place on the National Science Quiz team and had the chance to take part in the competition. Being in and preparing for the Quiz has made my knowledge grow and my teacher has helped me with everything from Quiz questions to investigations in lessons.

Leo Blyth (aged 9)

When I found out I was taking part in the National Science Quiz I was excited. Preparing for the Quiz was fun, I watched BrainPop videos about different aspects of Science and on Monday lunchtimes we had practice sessions. Before the first heat, I was a quite nervous but we worked well together as a team to answer the questions. Some of the questions were quite easy but some, about scientists, were trickier. The Quizmaster gives you some more information about the subject when he gives the answers.

For anyone interested in Science, the Quiz team is a great experience and I would suggest staying calm and not jumping to answer the questions too quickly, as you have 30 seconds and also to listen to everyone’s answers because you can learn a lot from your teammates as well.

Phoebe Hearn (aged 10)

“I have enjoyed learning about acid and chemical reactions in Science because I love carrying out practical experiments.”

Inese Khaled (aged 12)

“I enjoyed finding out about different parts of flowers. We even mixed Art and Science by creating our own flower out of Lego!”

Lucy Bennington (aged 9)

“The cellulose gut experiment was interesting and important as it was a topic in my scholarship exam!”

Dev Patel (aged 13)

“We dissected a lamb’s heart and also looked at inflating a lung. We saw first-hand the left and right atrium and ventricles.”

Cicely McDonnell (aged 12)

STEM Investigations

This week we used Newton metres. I found it very interesting how easy they were to pull. It was amazing how strong the wooden splint was! It was a champion as it would take the whole lesson to snap. We also started the designs for our bridges, and next week, we’ll be making them. If it breaks, the lorry will fall into the water.

Laila Khaled (aged 9)

“We’ve nearly finished designing our bridges using our Chromebooks. We tested different materials to see which were the strongest and had varying challenges with our Lego bridges. We also used the Bridge Designer software in the Computing Lab.”

Sasha Bautin (aged 9)

“It’s great to learn new things in STEM. We are learning to program robots and using apps on our Chromebooks. I find robots amazing because of how they help the world. For me, STEM can be summarised in two words: It’s fun! ”

Oscar Churchward (aged 9)

In STEM we tested paper helicopters. Working in groups of three, one person stood on a table and another, who was leading, would tell them to drop it. We had a stopwatch to determine the time our paper helicopter took to reach the ground, as well as a test chart, both of which were on the computer. I really like STEM as it is really fun and interesting, and I enjoyed building our recent bridges and testing them.

Cleodie Kornicki (aged 9)

“We started designing bridges on computers and tested the materials out in order to see how strong the materials were and which ones we should use. We also did an orienteering and map reading course around Senior House!”

Isaac Shotton (aged 9)

“Coding micro:bits was new for many people in my class, but not for me as I do a micro:bit club. We made a code to make a heart appear then disappear on our screen at different speeds, like 0.3 seconds, as if it were beating. ”

Selim Emam (aged 9)

“We can do so much with micro:bits and they can help us learn in so many ways. I got a Lego kit for Christmas, and I built it, then wired it up using a micro:bit so it could move the Lego.”

Cassidy Murray (aged 9)

Design Technology

Memphis Boxes

I really enjoyed designing our boxes and, most importantly, sharing ideas. It has been a great project as I enjoy being creative and decorating my Memphis box with lots of colour.

Claudia Mudkavi (aged 11)

“It has been so interesting finding out how we use peg joints and finger joints to join all our pieces of our box together.”

Toby Fairley (aged 12)

“Our boxes are based on post modern 1980s designs.”

Tom Bennington (aged 11)

“We used a jigsaw to cut the wood accurately for our boxes.”

Florence Wicks (aged 12)

Clocks

It was initially challenging to find the right shape to fit the theme of botany for our wooden clocks project but we all had different designs in the end.

Billy Malyon (aged 13)

“We made wooden clocks using CAD (computer aided design). Our designs were then printed precisely on the laser printer before we painted them.”

Isobel Bispham (aged 12)

“I enjoyed using TechSoft Design because it taught us about CAD/CAM technical drawings for our clocks.”

Harriet Elend-Warner (aged 12)

Bird Boxes

We had to learn to be really accurate with our measuring when making our bird boxes or the base and the extra pieces wouldn’t fit together properly and might have broken. It was so exciting being able to learn how to use the hand saw and bench hook safely to cut the wood. We had freedom with our designs and decorations and, when they were all finished, we took them into the Forest Garden and put them in places we thought birds would like to nest in.

Mia Fairburn (aged 7) & Emily Da Costa (aged 6)

“We used wooden lollipop sticks for the roof. I liked that we all had different designs.”

Emilie Trinidad & Claire Nghiem (both aged 7)

Dizzy Dowels

This was such a fun project! We learnt so many skills and the main one to begin with was accuracy as the base would not become a 3D shape unless you measured extremely accurately and stuck on the triangle with care. Once it had dried it made a solid structure which we added our designs to. Everyone had amazing and imaginative designs. The last part was adding the battery circuit so the characters were able to spin around.

Isaac Shotton (aged 9)

“There were so many different materials we could choose from to add to our designs. It was good when it all came together and the dizzy dowels worked!”

Vincent James & Harry Sapsed (both aged 9)

Vehicles

“Our DT motorised vehicles project has been my favourite of the whole year as I have learnt how to use the drill safely. I absolutely love cars and racing, which is partly why I love this project.”

Joshua Cooke (aged 10)

Fairground Rides

“We created a roller coaster which ended up looking really good! Initially, it had a problem with the conveyor belt but we persevered and fixed it by using cardboard.”

Race Wong (aged 11)

“Our fairground ride is called the Black Pearl. It is a tall structure with a slide going to the bottom. It broke halfway through and we were determined to restart but we kept going and made it work!”

Farid Emam (aged 11)

“I have enjoyed cutting the wood accurately for my fairground ride. I am making a sleigh ride. It will look great when it is finished!”

Felix Garstang (aged 10)

Shadow Puppets

“After we had designed and cutout our characters we hole-punched where the joints would be so parts could move. We also created a colourful background.”

Mishyla Fernandez-Piras & Sophie Seeruthun (both aged 8)

Flying Animals

“We could really let our imaginations go wild with this project and we could decorate using buttons, pipe cleaners and pom poms. We recycled the materials too.”

Charlotte Labruyère & Katynke Macswiney (both aged 7)

Digitally Enhanced Learning

Technology helps with our learning in school. So much of our futures will be automated and this is increasing at such a fast pace that it is important to understand the developments in technology. Chromebooks really help me in school and at home because I sometimes jumble up words on paper so they really help structure my thoughts more clearly.

Georgia Chesterfield

(aged 13)

“It is incredibly beneficial learning about AI and technology because any future jobs will no doubt involve technology. These are key skills to learn.”

Richard Li (aged 13)

“I love using the Sumdog app on the iPads to help with Maths and Spelling. The games are fun!”

Jonah Borchert (aged 7)

Computing

I have enjoyed Computing and Electronics as we had the chance to use the laser cutter to make our robots before customising and programming them. We installed ‘weapons’ like axes and spinners for our robot wars and put a balloon on each of them before battling! It was really good fun.

Basak Dogan (aged 12)

We have been playing a game in Computing called ‘Dance Party’ which has ten levels and we are learning how to compute the different dances. The way it works is by selecting dances that our character will do and, by the sixth level, we have to create a background otherwise we can not progress any further. With the Beebots, we need a big piece of paper and then mark their steps and code where they move. I really enjoy using them.

Arabella Kamyar (aged 8)

“We use PicCollage during Discovery Time and make our own collages, take photos and do our own research independently.”

Amber Liang (aged 7)

I really enjoyed taking part in the Computing Competition with our St John’s team at the History of Computing Centre. We had the opportunity to work with robots controlled by micro:bits. We faced numerous challenges which we tackled by going slowly and steadily. I was most proud of our team winning the prize for ingenuity at the end.

Aiden Wee (aged 11)

“Learning how to create our own websites was fun as you could base it on your interests.”

Emma Fawcus (aged 11)

“I really enjoyed the activity where we had to make a list of instructions on how to make a cup of tea. This taught us how important it is to be accurate when creating algorithms.”

Imogen O’Reilly (aged 11)

“The best Computing project was making our own videos as we added transitions and music. They were all unique.”

Heyan Patel (aged 10)

“We learnt about the anatomy of the computer. I now know the difference between long and short memory.”

Sam Tagger (aged 12)

Maths

I really enjoyed taking part in the National Maths Challenge and especially working on the questions as they were slightly different than the topics we normally do so it was a great challenge. I was delighted to have been awarded a gold certificate and was very proud of my result and my score and getting through to the next round which I am really excited for!

Cecilia Forsberg (aged 13)

I valued the chance to take part in Cambridge University’s ‘Thinking Mathematically’ event because it inspired us to investigate further about varying elements of Maths and to research more around topics and to think in greater detail about the concepts the lecturers encouraged us to explore.

My favourite topic this year has been the Golden Fibonacci Spiral investigation as getting to know the perfect ratio helps us define how the drawings are so pleasing to the eye and how nature created some perfect spirals without any human interference. The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two that precede it.

Eniya Zhang (aged 12)

“I felt really happy getting a gold certificate in the Junior Maths Challenge as I worked so hard for it.”

Charlie Jerram (aged 13)

“The Maths Golden Spiral investigation was a great way to teach us about golden ratios in a fun yet educational way, as well as the precision needed to create the perfect spiral.”

Zain Sheikh (aged 12)

“The ‘Thinking Mathematically’ event was all about spotting patterns and they even showed us some magic!”

Davi Saibrosa (aged 12)

“I enjoyed our reflection project as we learnt that a shape can be reflected across a line of reflection to create an image and this is called the mirror line.”

Babak Mohaddes (aged 10)

National Maths Quiz

I loved taking part in the National Maths Quiz because each and every member of our team strived to do their best. It was exciting, not just because of the hard questions, but because it was a whole new experience when you solve Maths questions with a team. When it was announced that our team made it to the Semi-Finals my heart was beating out of my chest with pride. I am ecstatically proud to be a member of the St John’s Maths Quiz.

“I really enjoyed the excitement of taking part in the National Maths Quiz because I love working as part of a team. We used our skills well to work out each answer.”

Emma Fawcus (aged 11)

“My teacher is always encouraging me to try challenges to work through and it is rewarding when I find the answers. She has helped me take a real step forward in my Maths journey.”

Leo Blyth (aged 9)

“I enjoyed taking part in the Quiz as it was experience I shared with my friends and I knew what to expect from having been in the National Science Quiz previously.”

Ingrid Birchall (aged 11)

“The pixel art investigation was my favourite Maths project as it helped us to learn about fractions, percentages and decimals on all levels from easy to much harder.”

Lukas Knowles (aged 10)

Raffaele Sarno (aged 11)

“It was quite challenging learning about big numbers, but I was determined to figure out the answers.”

Millie Fisher (aged 8)

“Tackling algebraic expressions is a fun challenge and it certainly makes your brain work hard!”

Penelope Tandy (aged 11)

“Challenge by choice really helps in Maths. You can choose either pink, blue or green challenges and it depends on whether you want easy, middle or harder. This has been good for learning your times tables.”

Noa Martinez Forbes (aged 6) & George Hacking (aged 7)

“Maths has been very fun, our teacher makes it come alive.”

Florence Phillips (aged 9)

“I’ve enjoyed learning column addition and trying to figure out what the answers were.”

Bridget Baker (aged 8)

In our Pentominoes puzzle investigation, we had to estimate how many shapes we could make with up to five tiles. This helped us to understand geometrical shapes and the basic features of shapes, such as sides and angles. I much prefer using resources in Maths as you can visualise the numbers easily rather than just work out the sums in our heads.

Grace Kilsby (aged 8)

Enrichment Afternoons

“The best Thursday afternoons are when we do sport as we have tried so many different ones. I loved it when we played football.”

Guy Lucas (aged 11)

“Going to IWM Duxford was my favourite Art project as I enjoyed seeing the exhibitions and planes and drawing the warfare.”

Charlie Lipscomb (aged 12)

“Author talks are always really fun, very varied, and are useful for your own writing.”

Jemima Lucas (aged 11)

“Learning Spanish has been great as we studied the basics: family, introductions, ages, names, pets and our homes. We also got to choose Spanish names!”

Martha Logan & Libby Dunton (both aged 12)

The Sports Psychology talk was really helpful because you could get into the minds of professionals and how they adapt their mindsets before a race or a match. It is also helpful for us to be in the right psychological frame of mind before we start a match at school.

Mei Mei Noble (aged 13)

“I enjoyed our music composition sessions as we composed pieces inspired by minimalism using the GarageBand app where you record and then loop.”

Tom Bennington (aged 11)

“The Space Dome was amazing! I felt like I was under the night sky looking at the planets and the stars.”

George Henty (aged 11)

Form 6 trip to Cambridge University Library

Co-Curricular

“I love being part of hockey club because it is all about teamwork.”

Morgan Jeremiah (aged 11)

“I really love going to calm club as it is relaxing but also so much fun too and the activities are peaceful, such as balancing stones.”

Cordelia de Graaf-Rose (aged 9)

Art club is really fun as you can use acrylic paints, as well as ink and clay. I love being part of Strictly club because, not only do you learn really fun dances and routines, but you also have cool clothes to match the dance.

Debating is great as you can develop your speaking skills in front of an audience and learn how to put across your point of view.

Sophie Holmes (aged 10)

“Golf club is excellent because, after busy day at school, golf is a way of letting out steam and loosening up with friends.”

Kevin Ke (aged 13)

I have definitely improved my skills in Micro:bit club since last year. It took a while for me to learn how to make automatic cars, but now I can make them without instructions. Once you know what to do, it becomes very easy. The club is all about coding, which I love. I’ve even been coding Python at home! What I love the most is how the teacher gives us the bare essentials for each project and then we have to create and code everything by ourselves. This club has inspired me to pursue coding in Maths as a future career.

Selim Emam (aged 9)

Football club has been so much fun! The football coaches are super nice and you get to know them really well. It is a good activity to do with friends and also a good place to make new friends. Football club is the best club I have done and I will definitely sign up again next year.

Rosie Brown (aged 11)

In journalism club we have interviewed people in our year group and also some teachers. The club gives you confidence to speak to people you don’t know and also to develop your interview and writing techniques. I have also interviewed some of the younger children about their favourite food.

Bertie Banks (aged 13)

“My

favourite club is debating

as it

gives you the ability to be able to speak in front of other people and organise and deliver your points succinctly.”

Arthur Toner (aged 13)

“I love athletics club because we do lots of long distance running.”

Oscar Thomson (aged 9)

Parents’ Association

As we reach the conclusion of another wonderful year at St John’s, it brings much joy to reflect upon our special, close knit community and the key role that the Parents’ Association (PA) plays in strengthening such a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for all. With great enthusiasm, determination and hard work, the PA committee has striven to create a diverse calendar of memorable events, aiming to appeal to all in our lovely community. We hope to give parents, staff, pupils, new families and alumni opportunities to come together to have fun, build friendships and encourage wellbeing. The dedicated team of volunteers on the committee rely completely upon the support of those in the community, through attending events or helping out, in order to run these fantastic occasions for everyone and I feel this spirit of fun, warmth and inclusivity is part of what makes St John’s such a unique place. Thanks to the support of everyone in our community, we will have raised over £11,000 this year, which will be shared between the chosen charities, all with a special link to St John’s: Blue Smile, which supports children’s mental health by providing specialist counselling and arts based therapy in local schools; The Karen Morris Memorial Trust, which provides comfortable and welcoming accommodation at UK hospitals for leukemia patients and their families during treatment, as a place of sanctuary, during treatment and Colours of Dance Radiates, which provides accessible dance classes, currently for pupils at Castle School.

The PA committee is composed of a team of incredibly practical, motivated and generous parent and staff volunteers and I wanted to express my most enormous thanks to the dedicated team for the fantastic work they have done, and to recognise the enormous impact they have had on the happiness and wellbeing of all in our community by bringing people together via our shared love of St John’s. I also wanted to thank staff for their wonderful support of the PA; working together to discuss ideas, along with volunteering and supporting events means a great deal. Including and caring for everyone in our cohesive community is part of what makes St John’s a special place. The catering team have gone to extraordinary lengths to help, from barbecuing over 500 hotdogs in one evening, baking mountains of delicious tea party treats and crafting lovely canapés: thank you. The facilities team have also given us a great deal of support, from lending ladders and trolleys to arranging fairy lights and shifting furniture to the Playing Fields and back; we are hugely grateful. Many of our events would not be possible without the support of St John’s College and Keith (the groundsman) and we are extremely grateful for being welcomed to use the fields and Chapel for many of our events. I wanted to thank all of the amazing parent, staff and alumni volunteers, who have helped out in so many ways, from counting down on the loud hailer to mucking out the bins. Without you, these events simply wouldn’t be possible: thank you.

This page, top left: St John’s ‘Spirit of the Spinx’ Party; top right: Fireworks Night; bottom left: Macmillan Coffee Morning; bottom right: Summer Garden Party & opposite page top & left: Fun Day & right: Evensong

Our year of events began with the Macmillan Coffee Morning, at which people were treated to a relaxed morning of hot drinks and delicious cakes baked by an army of brilliant St John’s bakers in the lovely, warm and welcoming family atmosphere of the Boarding House, organised by Caroline and team. Almost a thousand people came to the magical Fireworks evening, organised by Emma and Eirian and team, with trees illuminated in a spectrum of colours, twinkling fairy lights, and a huge smoking barbecue. The excitement of all was palpable, as families poured onto the Field to enjoy the most spectacular show. A merry gathering of parents unleashed their creative potential with moss and berries at the annual wreath-making workshop, organised by Louise and team. The wreath-making event has been a tradition for many years, designed to make the School look festive for the Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party and for all the children to enjoy.

At Christmas, we also launched a new Christmas Jumper Sale and second-hand costume swap, alongside Caroline’s team, working with the Art Department, to give children the opportunity to create beautiful Christmas Cards. In the Lent term, the staff and PA worked together to involve an enormous proportion of the community in creating the Egyptian Party, organised by Eirian and Kelly and team, in anticipation of the Form 5 play, with wonderful decorations made by the children at Camel Club. Parents and staff were treated to a dazzling evening of drinks, delicious North African food from The Wandering Yak, games, incredible lighting and sound by Tom Stone and fantastic music by Ollie Lepage-Dean’s band. At the Fun Day, organised by Caroline, Miranda, MaryKate and team, guests enjoyed exciting activities such as the fun run, cake competition, a giant inflatable drop slide and welly wanging on a beautiful sunny afternoon in May. It was a superb event, with a joyous atmosphere, out on the Fields. The new-look PA Evensong and children’s tea party masterminded by Olivia and team aimed to celebrate the Choristers by bringing School and College together, preceded by a children’s tea party. The School catering team provided an incredible spread of delicious party food and many families made lovely treats to share. Olivia’s incredible enthusiasm attracted over 300 people to come to this glorious evening, where the children had the chance to sing in the packed Chapel and listen to the exquisite voices of the Choristers. The calendar of PA events culminated in the wonderful Garden Party on a balmy summer evening with lovely drinks and delicious canapés, under the willow tree at Garden House, organised by Louise and team.

Thank you to the committee and the whole St John’s community for a fantastic year; the events have been such fun and it has been a great pleasure to work with a wonderful team, celebrate with you all and to discuss so many ideas for the future with School.

Parents’ Association Chair Eirian Kornicki

“Having a Form 6 buddy has taken me back to being in KG and remembering the kindness and patience my buddy showed me then too.”

Leo Blyth (aged 9)

Pupil Responsibilities & Pupil Forum

I wanted to be part of Pupil Forum to help my school out in as many positive ways as I could. Our biggest achievement was making changes to the salad bar and also the way Head Boy and Head Girl are chosen each year. I am proud of all the changes we have made.

Stanley Brown (aged 13)

“I’ve loved having a buddy to help show me around. She has been so kind to me and has made me feel at home in Senior House.”

Imogen Fairley (aged 9)

“In Form 5 we help collect the recycling and visit the Byron House children at play times. We also have the privilege of touring prospective families around Senior House.”

Lena Knowles (aged 12)

“It has been a real honour being part of Pupil Forum and being able to help the school with ideas for the future.”

Arya Wajid (aged 10)

“I feel proud being at St John’s and representing the school, especially due to its great facilities and learning.”

Eli Borchert (aged 9)

St John’s Got Talent Show

“I loved St John’s Got Talent because it is a really fun way to show your skills and to appreciate other people’s too.”

Penelope Tandy (aged 11)

“I love that me and my friends are preparing to do ‘dad’ jokes again for the third year in a row!”

Henry Skillings (aged 12)

“I performed a Bollywood dance to an Indian song. The Talent Show lets you be free and shows others what you are truly capable of.”

Abhinav Bole (aged 12)

“The best time was the water fight when we threw water balloons at each other! We have the choice of so many activities like visiting Cambridge, playing Capture the Flag, ICT and sports. Our Boarding House is amazing!”

Evelyn Austen (aged 10)

Boarders

It is fun being a boarder because it is such a friendly environment and everyone tries so hard to make you feel at home and happy. The Boarding House is somewhere you can relax after you have done your prep. There are also so many different activities on offer and we also have evenings where we can go into Cambridge, take part in fun competitions and have movie nights too. There is always something for everyone! That’s why I would highly recommend being a boarder to anyone thinking about coming.

Ajao (aged 11)

“The Boarding House is an amazing experience and a very welcoming abode. We have bucket loads of fun daily with our friends.”

Kevin Ke (aged 13)

Azaria

“I love being a boarder because it is loads of fun and you get to know so many different people.”

Sasha Bautin (aged 9)

I find the Boarding House a very nice community to be in. I have had many funny moments, like when me and my friends went into the garden and I fell face first in the mud. I ended up laughing about it for the rest of the day! It is also a great place for making friends with children in other Forms.

Amelia Crichton-Stuart (aged 12)

In the Boarding House there are always multiple activities, all of which I enjoy very much. My favourite one is when we get the chance to go into Cambridge after school and we can spend our money when we are there. It gives you a sense of freedom. I feel happy that I am the longest-lasting boarder from Form 1 to the end of my time in Form 6! I would recommend boarding to the younger children in school as you make so many friends in different year groups.

Shemi Ayers (aged 13)

“We tried a new idea of having a Eurovision party and it was absolutely amazing fun! It was great eating and joking with friends and it is a memory that I will remember for many years to come.”

George Henty (aged 11)

Choristers

“I will miss my peers the most. I have so many shared memories of the Choir with them that it becomes more of a feeling of brotherhood than just friendship.”

Kevin Ke (aged 13)

St John’s College Choir

Recent years have seen much change for the College Choir as it rebuilt following the pandemic, introduced girls and women to its ranks for the first time in its 350-year history, and welcomed a new director.

In the last academic year, changes continued with the appointment of a new Dean of Chapel and three new staff joining the Choir office. The stage is now set for a full return to the Choir’s established schedule of touring, recording and commissioning new works. These exciting plans align with a new strategy, approved by the Council, to uphold the Choir’s musical excellence, develop new initiatives in response to a changing recruitment landscape and better serve the community within and beyond College.

At the beginning of the academic year, we welcomed Tingshuo Yang as the Junior Organ Scholar, along with Alex Weiss and George Bird (basses), and three Probationers.

In December, we bade farewell to The Revd Canon Dr Mark Oakley, who was subsequently installed as the Dean of Southwark having served for five years as Dean of Chapel at St John’s. Dr Oakley was succeeded by The Revd Canon Dr Victoria Johnson,

previously Canon Precentor at York Minster and Ely Cathedral. A month later we said farewell to Caroline Marks who served for almost twenty-five years at St John’s, first in the Bursary and then at the heart of the Choir office. Generations of Choir members are grateful to Caroline for her unwavering dedication and care, and we wish her well in her retirement. The Choir office also said goodbye to James Beddoe, Choir Marketing and Communications Officer. Later in January a new Choir office team started: Andrea McDermott, Owen Elsley and Isabelle Freeman.

The Advent Carol Service was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in December and featured the first part of a triptych by awardwinning composer Joanna Marsh, commissioned specially for the Choir and setting poetry by Malcolm Guite. The second and third parts were performed at the Epiphany Carol Service and Lent Meditation, respectively.

Michaelmas term also included the Choristers’ first Cushion Concert a matriculation service, an Evensong in memory of Alan Mould (Headmaster of St John’s College School 1971–1990), an Evensong attended by the Papal Nuncio to Great Britain, His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, a service to

Ascension Day photos courtesy of Joe Giddens at Press Association (PA)

commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Anti-Slavery Society, and requiems for All Souls’ Day (Duruflé) and Remembrance Sunday (Fauré). The term culminated in a sold-out Christmas concert.

After a brief post-term rest, the Choir embarked on their first tour since 2019. The first stop was a sold-out concert in the stunning Philharmonie in Luxembourg. Next was Amsterdam, where they performed in the iconic Het Concertgebouw to another appreciative audience; this concert was broadcast live in thirteen countries, including on BBC Radio 3 in the UK, and it can be viewed on YouTube. Further sold-out concerts followed in Utrecht, Vlissingen, Haarlem and Nijmegen. The tour was a resounding success.

In Lent term, the Choir enjoyed collaborating with Musicianin-Residence Professor Margaret Faultless and the St John’s Sinfonia for a Bach Cantata Evensong. Some very special music making took place during three services, in which the Choir was led by guest conductors Dr Christopher Robinson and Dr Barry Rose. 9 February 2024 marked the centenary of the birth of the legendary Dr George Guest who directed the Choir for forty years (1951–1991), and it was wonderful to see dozens of Choir alumni in attendance.

The Easter term saw special services for Ascension Day, the Choir Association Annual Reunion Evensong and the Graduation Service.

During the year we welcomed four visiting choirs for joint services: the Girl Choristers of Truro Cathedral, the Choir of Clare College, the Choir of Sidney Sussex College and King’s College Choir. Additionally, sopranos from other Cambridge colleges joined the lower voices for a Sunday morning Eucharist, and the Choir enjoyed their annual joint service with St John’s Voices.

In May, we had the pleasure of collaborating with the awardwinning British ensemble The Gesualdo Six for a concert in the Chapel. The concert is available to watch on YouTube.

Since the last Choir report three albums have been released: New Millennium, Advent Live – Volume 3 , and Andrew Nethsingha’s last CD with the Choir, Magnificat 4. In April and July the Choir began recording their first album under the direction of Christopher Gray. Scheduled for release in 2025, the album features music by Joanna Marsh, James MacMillan, and other contemporary composers.

As the year ends we bid farewell to outgoing Choir members, thanking them for their contributions and wishing them well with their futures.

Christopher Gray (Director of Music)

“It was great fun singing from the top of the Chapel tower because I got to look at the amazing view of Cambridge from the top.”

George Henty (aged 11)

“It was an incredible experience singing on Ascension Day as the feeling was so cool from the tower. Being a Chorister is one of the best decisions I have made.”

Arthur Cobb (aged 11)

I have really enjoyed my time of being a Chorister in St John’s College Choir. Towards the end of my last year I had the amazing opportunity to sit in the organ loft in Chapel. I really enjoyed watching the organ scholars and was able to learn so much from their techniques which will hopefully help me improve my own organ skills too.

Charlie Lipscomb (aged 12)

“I love that we can sing nearly every day as I love singing! Being a Chorister in the Choir is a truly amazing experience. You only have one chance and I took it.”

James Marshall (aged 10)

“During the Epiphany Service all the lights were turned off and we used candles. It felt magical.”

Felix van den Bos (aged 10)

“Being a Chorister helps you to accomplish many musical and life skills that will help to develop you into the person you are for the rest of your life.”

Sam Smith (aged 13)

“Taking part in the Cushion Concert was lovely and seeing so many young children singing along with the Choir was a great feeling.”

Bryony MacLeod-Jones (aged 10)

Bottom photos of the Cushion Concert courtesy of Joe Giddens at Press Association (PA)

Choir Tour to The Netherlands and Luxembourg

From the start of this year I have enjoyed all the activities, services, evensongs and parties we have taken part in as Choristers. As Head Chorister I have several privileges and also responsibilities. I like being in the top year in the Choir because it means that I get to be a good role-model to the younger Choristers. I would like to think that I am doing an alright job in setting examples to the younger and less-experienced Choristers, especially when we are on tour, like when we went to The Netherlands before Christmas. Possibly one of my favourite Services was the Epiphany Service in which all the lights went out apart from candles. It was a very calm experience and one where I tried my absolute best with my singing to give my full effort. I have loved singing and being part of the St John’s College Choir. I will really miss it when I leave St John’s.

“The Luxembourg Philharmonic Concert Hall was very modern with absolutely beautiful architecture.”

Monty Tatnell (aged 13)

Gabriel Gritten (aged 13)

“I have had many highlights being in the Choir but my main one this year has been going on tour to The Netherlands as it was such an amazing experience being able to sing in so many incredible venues in so many places.”

Evelyn Austen (aged 10)

“I love being a Chorister because you get to sing with all your friends whilst learning new pieces. Going on tour with the Choir before Christmas was one of the best moments of my life and I will never forget how much fun I had!”

George Henty (aged 11)

“Being on tour you get to sing in some of the most amazing venues and concert halls around the world with your friends!”

Ingrid Birchall (aged 11)

Services in Preparation for Christmas Music

“I have loved singing in Chamber Choir and having the opportunity to perform in St John’s Chapel for the Christmas Services was an extraordinary experience. It was so much fun being able to sing with the other choirs. It felt magical being in such an amazing place.”

Alyse Baines (aged 13)

“The highlight of being in Chamber Choir has definitely been singing in Chapel for the Christmas Services because it is so special when all the choirs come together to sing at the end.”

Arindam Roshan (aged 11)

The Christmas Services were amazing, and I loved participating and listening to the sound of the singing! My favourite song we sang was Jesus Christ is Born Tonight. I loved being in the College Chapel as it is such a majestic building, and the sound goes everywhere.

Antoine Khoury-Machool (aged 8)

I sang various songs with the Chamber Choir and everyone in the whole Service sang Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. My parents came along to watch me and were incredibly happy when I saw them afterwards. My highlight was definitely when, as a whole Choir, we sang our songs on our own.

Anabelle Clarke (aged 8)

Remembrance Day

Christmas Brass

“Piazza Brass gets you into the festive spirit. It was so much fun playing in Rednotes as it is such a great mad mix of musicians.”

Thomas Kokelaar (aged 13)

“It was really fun taking part in Piazza Brass and playing in front of an audience before Christmas.”

Rufus Bowsher (aged 11)

“It is such a fun event as you get to perform the piece you have been working on for a while which is a great feeling.”

Mei Mei Noble (aged 13)

“It was hard at first playing in front of my peers but the music sounded amazing and it was the highlight of my year.”

Kevin Ke (aged 13)

“When the time comes to perform everybody is super excited. Jazz in the Piazza is such a vivid memory that will stay with me for my whole life.”

Una Churchward (aged 13)

Jazz in the Piazza

For Jazz in the Piazza, we took part in many lunch time rehearsals with the band to go through the songs and to get the technical side right. I really enjoy singing in Rednotes because I love singing songs! I also enjoy being part of a band and having the chance to sing in different concerts throughout the year at school.

Evie Oates (aged 13)

I really enjoyed playing in Jazz in the Piazza: it was such a great experience and so enjoyable. We performed some amazing tunes and the singers did really well. I will thoroughly miss playing in Rednotes as I am so proud of what we have achieved musically with the band.

Gabriel Gritten (aged 13)

“I loved performing: it was sunny, the BBQ food was amazing and I had my sunglasses on while I sang! It was a true summer’s day.”

Alicia Quirke (aged 13)

“We have been practicing beats, rhythms and pitch - like the roots of the tree for music.”

Arindam Roshan (aged 11)

“We composed pieces for our Shakespeare play, ‘Macbeth’, which is good as we are the cast so it’s important that we write the songs.”

Billy Malyon (aged 13)

“We have been practicing for our play in Music. At the end of the lessons, we tend to play fun games like Mousey, Mousey where we have to guess who stole the cheese.”

Archie Morbey (aged 6)

Class Music

One of our Music projects this year focused on the Black African slave trade. I have enjoyed learning the types of music that was created during that hard time. Also, learning about how people were treated unfairly makes me feel that we can all take freedom for granted at times.

Cera Wong (aged 12)

“It has been fascinating learning about the Mid-Atlantic slave trade and finding out about the conditions people had to endure on awful journeys and how this impacted and affected their music.”

Matilda Newitt (aged 12)

“I have really enjoyed Music and singing songs from music books. One song we have been singing is ‘Hey Beetle, Say Beetle’, which I like.”

Edward Cook (aged 6)

“I find learning Solfa very enjoyable and jumping up and down on the five different ropes to show what the notes are.”

Jean-Francois Gobbato (aged 7)

Lunchtime & Evening Concerts

I take part in an outside of school singing class called Spardha Singing Academy and my singing teacher recommended this song. I prepared it within my Singing Academy as part of a competition there and this song was meant to be for that but my dad told my school Music teacher and she enrolled me in a Lunchtime Concert. It went really well and I got a lot of applause. I enjoy singing Indian songs and the course I do is called Indian and Hindustani vocals.

Abhinav Bole (aged 12)

“I love performing in Informal Lunchtime Concerts as they are relaxed and they give me so much confidence to perform in front of other people.”

Amelia Crichton-Stuart (aged 12)

I really enjoyed playing in my solo concert in Form 6. It was such a great experience and I will cherish that moment in my memory for the rest of my life. I played some Brahms, J.P. Johnson, Coleridge-Taylor, Bach and Rachmaninov. I think the piece I loved the most was the Rachmaninov because it has great chords and fabulous harmony. Music at St John’s has taught me so much. Throughout my future life I will use the skills I have learnt here to improve as much as I can at my next school.

Gabriel Gritten (aged 13)

I love it when the older children play music for us as they sound so professional! It is amazing that children only a few years older than me can play so well! We can also choose which instruments can be presented for us, and I love it when the French horn plays, as I play it. I really love the cello – it sounds so graceful and elegant! If I had more time, I would love to play it, as well as the French horn.

Stella Millward (aged 8)

Performing with Bedford School was an amazing musical opportunity because I was able to learn from the more experienced performers. It was also great to hear other saxophones play, other than myself playing on my own.

Archie Formston (aged 12)

Summer Concert at West Road

Each year, at the Summer Concert, there are a few solo items that are performed by a selection of Form 6 musicians. I was lucky enough to be asked this year to play a solo item on the bassoon and this was an experience that I will never forget. In the performance I played the slow movement from Mozart’s most famous bassoon concerto. I loved performing on stage and the performance was especially exciting as it was with an orchestra made up of past pupils and also staff too.

Sam Smith (aged 13)

I enjoyed performing at West Road. My favourite part was being part of Chamber Orchestra because I really liked the piece and there was a more select group of musicians which meant the music was more challenging and therefore more rewarding to play. I also loved the scale of Symphony Orchestra and we had the chance to play with a choir. Being ‘first violin’ was an experience I will always remember.

Sophia Wickham (aged 13)

“I enjoyed the experience of playing in the Mozart Three Pianos Concerto at the Summer Concert. It was both more satisfying and rewarding once we performed it well.”

Max Wickham (aged 13)

“It was so exciting looking out from the stage and singing at the Summer Concert.”

Roopkatha Adhikari (aged 8)

“I took part in the Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Choir and Stradivarius Strings. I loved the first violin part of Symphony Orchestra because it was so interesting to perform.”

Richard Li (aged 13)

“I enjoyed playing on the stage as, in the Harry Potter piece, the audience could hear the harps’ glissando (running finger up strings).”

Megan Munro (aged 13)

“Playing with only one other trumpet at the start of the Sanctus was magnificent.”

Thomas Kokelaar (aged 13)

“I performed in both of the orchestras and in Stradivarius Strings. I played the violin and it was so much fun. The best part had to be the choreography in Stradivarius Strings.”

Frankie Benstead (aged 13)

Music Examination Results

Michaelmas Term

Trinity Practical:

* indicates distinction

Magnus Cleevely 6 Trumpet

Max Crosbie 1 Cornet

Martha Gritten 2* Harp

Abigail Lock 1 Cornet

Mattie Newitt 3* Harp

Henry Skillings 3 Orch Perc.

Lent Term

ABRSM Practical:

Clara Blyth 2* Clarinet

Nicholas Garcia 6 Oboe

ABRSM Performance:

Abhinav Bole 1 Violin

Imogen Fairley 2 Violin

Jasmine Francis 2 Singing

Gyuwon Lee 1 Singing

Woosung Lee 5* Cello

Woosung Lee 2 Singing

Babak Mohaddes 1 Guitar

Arindam Roshan 4 Singing

Raffaele Sarno 2 Singing

Summer Term

ABRSM Practical:

Evelyn Austen 1 Piano

Lucy Bennington 2 Piano

Thomas Bennington 5 Piano

Elijah Borchert 2 Bassoon

Cindy Di 5 Piano

Cindy Di 4 Violin

Maya Drokov 3* Descant Recorder

Farid Emam 4 Piano

Nicholas Garcia 7* Piano

James Hankey I Piano

Elliott Hoyland West 1 Piano

Samuel Ji 5 Piano

Samuel Ji 3 Singing

Antoine Khoury-Machool 2 Violin

Amber Liang 4 Piano

Timothy Liu 1 Piano

Helena Parkinson I* Piano

Diniz Patil 1 Piano

Soberano de Oliveira

Florence Reed Herbert 3 Violin

Joseph Robinson 5* Singing

Isaac Shotton 1* Piano

Isaac Shotton 3* Violin

William Srinivasan 1 Viola

Monty Tatnell 5* Cello

Arya Wajid 1 Violin

Henry Watson 1* Cello

Maria Watson 3* Flute

Aiden Wee 7 Piano

Max Wickham 8* Cello

Magnus Xin 1* Cello

ABRSM Performance:

Martha Gritten 5* Clarinet

Richard Li 4* Piano

Crispin Sinclair 2 Violin

Aniket Sinha 1 Piano

Race Wong 1 Violin

ABRSM Practical:

Ingrid Birchall 5* Viola

Kevin Ke 8* Violin

Trinity Practical:

Benjamin Knowles I* Piano

Trinity Digital:

Selim Emam 1 Violin

Gyuwon Lee 3 Violin

Tilly Manning 1 Violin

Clarissa Pilato 2* Singing

Emily Shi-Gao 2 Violin

Sophia Wickham 6* Violin

ABRSM Grade 5 Theory:

Ingrid Birchall

Martha Gritten

Jing Jin

ABRSM Music Medals:

Jacob Shi-Gao Copper Ella Singh Gold

Trinity Practical:

Reuben Bennett 4 Trumpet

Auberon Benstead 1* Clarinet

Frankie Benstead 5 Violin

Bertie Bowes 3 Trumpet

Blake Carver 4 Trumpet

Magnus Cleevely 7* Trumpet

Cindy Di 2 Singing

Poppy Doodson 1* Clarinet

Toby Fairley 6 Clarinet

Martha Gritten 3* Harp

Lena Knowles 3* Piano

Lukas Knowles 2* Trumpet

Lukas Knowles 2 Piano

Cleodie Kornicki 2 Harp

Abigail Lock 2 Cornet

Imogen O’Reilly 4 Violin

Ani Reddy 3 Orch Perc.

Tara Roshan 1 Clarinet

Henry Skillings 4* Orch Perc.

William Stevenson 1* Tuba

Trinity Digital:

Emmanuel Mba 4 Viola

Daphne Jerram 2 Violin

ABRSM Performance:

Azaria Ajao 3* Singing (Musical Theatre)

Ingrid Birchall 6* Piano

Cara Brown 2 Singing (Musical Theatre)

Magnus Cleevely 4 Singing

Amelia Crichton-Stuart 8* Piano

Poppy Doodson 1 Singing (Musical Theatre)

Gabriel Gritten 8* Piano

Martha Gritten 6* Clarinet

Aline Halban Taylor 3 Singing (Musical Theatre)

Richard Li 5* Piano

Florence Reed Herbert 2* Singing

Tara Roshan 1* Singing

Vincent van Gogh

I really enjoyed learning about van Gogh because it was so fascinating finding out about his personal life and how it influenced his artwork, as well as learning about his techniques with his mark-making. We learnt new textures and shades using Indian ink.

Arindam Roshan (aged 11)

“I enjoyed the freedom of Vincent van Gogh’s style and his brushstrokes. His style really suited me. We used black ink to create similar marks as he did.”

Harry Dixon (aged 11)

“The best part of any Art project is the range of materials we can experiment with. We have used inks, paints and charcoal for just our van Gogh project.”

Isabella MacLean (aged 11)

“Art is very calming.”

Morgan Jeremiah (aged 11)

William

Blake & Claude Monet

“I really enjoyed our William Blake project as we had the chance to use coloured inks for the first time. It was great using microscopes to see parts of flowers you couldn’t normally see with just your eyes.”

Peony Piotrowski (aged 9)

“Learning about Claude Monet was fantastic as we went to the Quiet Garden to sketch and paint by the pond with the fish and lily pads. We used watercolours on large pieces of paper.”

Theo Redpath (aged 10)

“I really like Art when learn about shadows and reflections as it makes you think more about the colours. I loved it when we went to the pond to paint our Monet pieces because our brushstrokes felt so free.”

Maria Watson (aged 10)

It was really interesting learning about the artist and fisherman, Alfred Wallis. He used to live and work on the Cornish coast. He mainly painted the sea and the harbour too. Sometimes, he would paint on old card or wood that he picked up on the beach that had been washed ashore. We painted on cardboard for our ship scenes in the style of Alfred Wallis.

Woosung Lee (aged 11)

“We have learnt about Alfred Wallis who was a British fisherman and artist. We are painting our own ships and sea scenes on cardboard.”

Mary Sutcliffe (aged 11)

Alfred Wallis

Hurvin Anderson

I have enjoyed all of our Art projects but I particularly liked the project based on the British painter, Hurvin Anderson. I was proud of my painting of the Quiet Garden in school where I decided to merge the colours of another photo I had taken with the photo of the Quiet Garden that I also took. I really tried to experiment with my skills and, even though I couldn’t really create a realistic reflection in the water, I really liked the way it turned out in the end.

“We learnt that Hurvin Anderson combines the photos he takes and paints them. He portrays his Jamaican culture through his work.”

Amira Srouji (aged 13)

Carmen Navarro (aged 13)

African Masks

It has been really interesting learning different techniques to make cardboard become 3D so you can create features for our African masks. I have enjoyed designing the shape of my mask and putting tissue paper on by gluing it with the paper mache method. Our Art teacher briefly lived in Kenya and told us that, as part of their culture, they wear heavy earrings to make their ears droop. During a tour, the tour guide had long ears himself, and to prevent them from being caught in branches, he pinned them up. It was fascinating hearing this first-hand knowledge.

Joshua

Evershed (aged 9)

“We used real, large masks from Africa as inspiration for the patterns and decoration. A mindset I have been using is Focusing Frog, as I have become quite engrossed in making my mask.”

Penelope LaBonte (aged 9)

“I used straws to make T-Rex whiskers on my mask. I’ve enjoyed experimenting with glue to make lip gloss and also using it to cover stars that I have stuck to its face. A mindset I have been using is Flexible Flamingo so I can change my design as I go.”

Florence Phillips (aged 9)

IWM Duxford

This was one of the most fascinating trips we have been on as it was interesting being able to find out so much about the WW2 tanks before drawing them at the Museum and then adding more detail to them once we were back at school.

Carver (aged 13)

“Visiting IWM Duxford for our Art trip was great. It was amazing learning about the wartime planes and being able to draw the tanks and weaponry around us.”

George Bowsher (aged 13)

“I really found the wartime project fascinating as we were able to explore how we can translate emotions into our artwork.”

Amira Srouji (aged 13)

As part of our wartime Art project, I decided to create an image of a Russian military soldier using both charcoal and watercolours. It is an abstract piece and it expresses absolute pain and anguish by displaying the soldier screaming in agony.

Chace

Dev Patel (aged 13)

Inspiration

Heron

Heron. Still as a standing stone statue, waiting for his dancing fish to swim by.

Heron. Perfectly still on the smooth river bank he waits for his lunch to dart through the water.

Heron. A grey morning In the falling snow He sits by his much Beloved river.

Heron Whoosh! Splash! Yes he got it! In his beak a wiggerling, Waggerling silver-finned fish.

Abigail Lock (aged 9)

Hamlet

Inside the soldier’s heartbroken tears, the sea’s end, Inside the sea’s end, the twinkling hope of light, Inside the twinkling hope of light, the golden shining hair, Inside the golden shining hair, the shape of the daylight sun, Inside the shape of the daylight sun, the fire sparking into stars, Inside the fire sparking into stars, the determination for victory, Inside the determination for victory, the sadness of loss, Inside the sadness of loss, the kindness still there waiting for you, Inside the kindness still waiting for you, the hope of coming back.

Isabella Graham (aged 9)

The Girl in the Willow Window

Standing there, Bleached hair, Longing eyes, Staring out of a tangled willow window, In a tear-soaked gown.

She whispers a song of peace, Words slip from her pale lips like tear drops from an eye, Like tumbling sheets of silk. But little did she know, Deep down, way down in the depths of the midnight sky lay a twinkle of hope.

The air thickened to a gloomy haze, And she swayed and swayed, ‘till her mind was at rest, Her thoughts quietened, And her mind shut.

Aline Halban Taylor (aged 11)

I Am

I am the smashed plate in the cupboard, waiting to be glued back together.

The bright yellow sunflower in the field of dark red poppies.

An energetic dog waiting for the ball, wagging my tail, trying to stay still.

I am a dark green storm cloud enviously looking up at a bright beautiful sun.

Gardiner (aged 12)

Dotty

Dreaming of a Story

Eyes are closed, She walks solemnly into a room with a stumble, She collides with the dusty wooden box. As she does, The powdery dirt rises, Winding around her.

A lock touches the ends of her fingertips, Grasping onto it, She fumbles for a key, The key to everything she has ever dreamed of, a key to happiness.

Deep sleep creeps closer, the end of the chapter will have to wait until tomorrow.

Sitting in a Dreamboat

Sitting in a dream boat, You hear a song, A sweet soft song gliding over the waves of clear sea.

The song blows gently, The sweet soft song flying with the midnight breeze.

Stars bright and bold, The sky sits tall above, And the open secret of dreaming, sits upon your shoulder.

A buffet of possibilities lines up in front of you, Just a wise child, Wishing for a long-lasting dream and locked-on eternal happiness.

Harriet Elend-Warner (aged 12)

Carmen Navarro (aged 13)

Fireworks

Whooshing through the sky, Four sparkly rockets, Cherry and Red, Zap, Zap, Zap, Zap!

Bursting through the sky, Three bright and colourful stars, Pink and Yellow, Kaboom, Kaboom, Kaboom!

Shooting through the sky, Two different tall twirlers, Big and hollow, Bang, Bang!

Exploding through the sky, One big, blue Catherine Wheel, Blue and bight. Boom!

Jacob Shotton (aged 7)

Fireworks

Dance in the dimness

Flare up the heavens

Light up the dusk

Shoot into night

Fire up the gloom

Like a fiery rainbow

Shine in the darkness

Blaze brightly in the night

Daniel Howarth (aged 8)

Black Holes

Black holes - the infinite, The Infinite Abyss of space.

What lies within we might never know, A new universe might give life to new places, for us to discover and see.

Flowing light cannot escape the Void that fills the whole As mysteries intertwine at the centre of the Milky Way.

Ruben Hastwell (aged 10)

The Star Poem

The houses are like little milk cartons, As black-haired trees slip upwards like a drowned woman, Into the hot sky.

A sky of a million brush strokes: The empty village of silence, The graveyard in the gigantic room, The stars mere fireworks in the sky, A sad ceremony of light.

Mateo Fairén-Gallego (aged 12)

Starstruck

Look at the night sky, Look, as a blanket of darkness falls, And an ocean of stars appear, All dancing to the same tune.

Silence cuts through the black of night, As the day fades, The moon arrives, The moon guarding the skies, and stars bow down before it.

Oh! Look at the night sky, All the wonders you can see, Twilight and the gleaming crescent, An essence of peace falls, We are left with a shard of hope, And we are carried away by our dreams.

Martha Logan (aged 12)

Northern Lights

Above the tempestuous yellow waves, the purple moon glitters and glows, Melancholically.

Transfixed by the mind-bending vista, I watch the blue mist lurk and spread like a spectral assassin.

And minuscule pink dots gleam and glitter in the utopic show, As nebulous green horizons float through the sky.

Raffaele Sarno (aged 11)

Last Night I Was Dreaming

Last night I was dreaming, Dreaming that I was dreaming, Of a world full of blue cheese, Where cows ran free, And humans pulled carriages with horses whipping them as they went.

And buzzing green bees, And proud purple trees, Fat bats, Grey cats, Flying hogs And dancing dogs.

Oh yes.

I saw many grave things that night, But then, from up above, A voice, Calling for me, Saying my name, And I rise Up into the clouds, Higher and higher, Till the sun was at my fingertips, And her face was smiling down

Arthur Toner (aged 13)

Sleep

The heat overwhelmed my senses so, But soon it calmed to nothing, And I knew I was beat.

My muscles relaxed, The air escaped my lungs, My words were stolen from me.

Surrounded by mirrored Silence, I lay in peace, No thoughts stressing my weary soul, The silence a perfect bliss and rest.

Davi Saibrosa (aged 12)

The Sky

The sky! Look!

A crystal cave, The sky, with as many stars as there are drops in the ocean.

The stars! Look!

Look at them dance on the dance floor of blackness, Burning flames bouncing in the night. What a sight! What a sight!

The trees! Look!

The trees are point-sharpened pencils, The lamppost a soldier standing to attention.

The sky! Look!

The sky, a thick celestial forest, as candle stars peer through the gaps in the canopy

The sky! Look!

Kasra Mohaddes (aged 12)

The Secrets of Nature

Nature is a canvas

Nature is itself

Nature paints a scene that None could paint themselves

Birds dart through the air as creatures come to see the elegant Canadian geese bathe in the silent lakes of nature

Unfold a page of a whole new world as you see squirrels scuttle along the moss coated fence

Hear the buzzard whoosh and whip across the bright blue sky

Isaac Shotton (aged 9)

Vibrant Spring

Spring is a time suitable for singing, Spring is all renewal, Spring when the natural world revives, Spring‘s song is calling all life.

Icicles melt, drip, drip, drip, In the river salmon swim upstream, Grass begins to peep at sunny blue skies.

Slowly, brown and grey turn green, Golden daffodils spring like happy emojis, Cherry blossom, pink and white, Sweet fragrance of blue and purple flowers, Invigorated, lambs and chicks play, And humans dream of ice-cream!

Sophia Sun (aged 13)

The Walk in My Garden

As I walk in my noisy garden, And stare at bright blue trees whispering sharply in the wind.

And the purple blades of grass, Which taste funny to my eye, As brown and black flowers sing.

And the darkest green sun tastes sour, As orange skies stretch, bitter as a sugar cube.

And my favourite cyan bird shouts at me, as purple and red clouds whip in the wind.

Emma Fawcus (aged 11)

War

Inside the cold dark shelter, the scared child.

Inside the scared child, the fear’s shout.

Inside the fear’s shout, the need for comfort.

Inside the need for comfort, the lovely home and toys.

Inside the lovely home and toys, the dad at war.

Inside the dad at war, the beaches of Dunkirk.

Inside the beaches of Dunkirk, the smoky air.

Inside the smoky air, the shooting planes.

Inside the shooting planes, the victory.

George Stepanov (aged 9)

Trapped

Hiding in the shrubbery, The place where I lie.

Staring into space, Looking up at the sky.

I see an ocean of blues

And wonders in black Curling with the wind And sticking to the track

And floating in the sea, Shining bright, diamonds and pearls, Oozing their light.

I look down and below the night sky a village of shadow, Filled with lives.

So I lie here

Locked in Hoping to fly away, Fly away tonight.

Matilda Newitt (aged 12)

Despair

Darker than a bedroom at night,

Rain-like tears falling from the jet-black sky,

Inky spiders and horrible ugly bugs,

His battered house damp like a green swamp

Crumpled junk surrounds the land

Rain pitter-patters on dirt,

CRACK! Thunder cracks in the dark sky, Black clouds circle the wasteland,

Window-framing sadness everywhere.

Alex Zhang (aged 7)

Wind

Coldness cools your face

Hats blowing away

Walking is so slow

Sound of running on tip-toes

One thousand cold hurricanes

Roaring in the clouds

Immortal and transparent

Invisible as nothing

Gyuwon Lee (aged 7)

Shadows at Dawn

My Dawn Spirit glides gracefully through the clouds

And I admire its glowing eyes, Charmingly.

My Shadow Night’s mane glistens in the moonlight While I rest on its back, Dreamily.

My Dawn Spirit gallops over water as fast as lightning While I chuckle, Delightfully.

My Shadow Night protects me when I am scared While I whisper, Silently.

Adhikari (aged 8)

Roopkatha

Sometime, Neverwhere

Somewhere in my dreams, I find a stone staircase decorated with ivy and old memories.

Sometime in my life, I’d dream of this each night and each night I’d climb, nearly to the top, only to fall down.

Some person in my memory, smiles at me happily, And urges me on.

The top has the dappled light of a forest at noon, Vaguely, I can see pink clouds floating past the pale, pale moon

Isobel Bispham (aged 12)

Go-Karting

The engine has an elephant’s rumble, As I drive like the great Jim Clark.

Into the field full of hedges, Into the field at full speed, Into the field where this go-kart goes like hell.

Down the main straight, Hair plastered to my skull, Steering smoothly I Scandi-flick into the first corner, Skidding, sliding, Drifting dreamily.

Next the chicane, Peppered with pits, Haunted with holes, I bounce in my seat, Holding my line. But then, A bug flies kamikaze into my eye, I’m suddenly blinded.

Panicked, I wrench on the steering, Two wheels come off the ground, I am 90 degrees off line, toppling like a chess piece.

My head ricochets off the roll cage, And the world goes quiet for a second, Disorientated, I climb out, and wait for the world to slow down.

Bertie Banks (aged 13)

It is extraordinary how a ball at my feet can make me feel

It makes me happy that black and white ball a puzzle of hexagons that takes my mind away from maths It makes me feel free

And during the pain of the day all I can think about is that amazing ball that has shaped and moulded my life

Zackary Crosbie (aged 13)

I Am

I am an old dog that sticks by his master, an ironic leaf on a tree of sensibility.

I am the box outside your door when you come back from holiday.

I am dappled light in between trees, the sniper who didn’t pull the trigger.

I am the rat at the back of the rat race, the pigeon in a flock of crows.

I am the typo in a vital message, the pine tree, steadfast in wind, rain and snow.

May Guttridge (aged 13)

Earth

My friend Earth wakes from a winter’s nap. She hears busy spring sounds...

The calm blue tits in the treetops. The baby lambs jumping at the top of the hill. The farmers raking the hard ground.

She sees the daffodils swaying in the wind. The leaves falling from the pink blossom trees. And fluffy birds tweeting in the distance.

Angus Hood (aged 7)

Woods

Nature is a symphony orchestra of chirping birds, they fly slowly as they spot water washing the white wet willow’s wavy finger tips.

Lady bird is as tiny as a crumb, She flies, she twirls in the bright blue shimmering sky, red robin hears her alert so flies away in the shining sun.

As grey heron sits as still as a statue carved out of stone, starling gracefully shows off her diamond feathers while singing a beautiful song.

Pigeon sets off for work in his light grey shirt, as

bravely as a mountain climber he dives into the sky, jumps off branches, lands, then firmly marches into the nest.

Maria Ferrari (aged 9)

Wild

Wonders of the World

The slaughtering waves roll in, Making the black damp sand blacker, And shells and stones arrive, And shells and stones leave, Making a grinding sound on their departure, The wonders of the world.

Crystal clear waterfall, The water diving down into the deep pool at the bottom of the cliff, Hitting the rocks and drifting away, Small ice caps forming as the water is so cold, The wonders of the world.

Snow-capped volcanoes, Plotting their next eruption, Lava grumbling inside, Super hot, The wonders of the world.

Glaciers, rigid and tall, Zebra like stripes cutting though, Crampons dig into these frozen pyramids giving us grip, On the wonders of the world.

Evie Oates (aged 13)

The Four Seasons

The cold sun gleaming on my face

The crunch on the ground as I walk

I can feel goosebumps on my arms

Snow melting, revealing a hint of green

Leaves unfolding slowly

Birds singing their songs

And drying grass gleaming in the light

As leaves turn yellow

Green, orange, and brown

And now the trees have no leaves left

And the cycle marches on.

Arthur Cobb (aged 11)

The Sleepy Meadow

The swirling willow hugs me,

As I lie under soft blanket of stars, The stars that start to fall gently and slowly,

Silver glitter on a dark blue page, They land quietly on the branches of the willow,

Smiling at the soft green grass,

At the wild daisies in the meadow

At the babbling brook beside me.

And the brook smiles back

The daisies bloom back

The grass whispers back

In unison.

I smile softly and my eyes close, Opening the portal.

Inese Khaled (aged 12)

My Summer

I didn’t go to a 5-star Hotel in France...

But went to a waterpark and shot down Devil’s Drop

I didn’t zoom around town in a Vibrant Lamborghini...

But went to Brixham and caught crabs and tiny fish

I didn’t go to the Tesla headquarters and win a free Tesla

But went to Alton Towers and rode Wicker Man and TH13TEEN

I didn’t meet Cristiano Ronaldo

But skipped rocks on the delicate waves of Brixham beach

I didn’t get WWE slammed by John Cena

But I did have delicious pizza with cheese as stringy as a cobweb

I didn’t parkour through the skyscrapers of Dubai

But I did jump from Theo’s fence.

I didn’t record a video with my favourite YouTuber

But I did play video games with my friends

My summer was AMAZING!

Edward Rowstron (aged 10)

Georgina and the Dragon

I received a note. I was to save a boy in a silver coat.

He had fallen off his horse into a murky moat, And a dragon had snagged his coat, And with his claws so sharp, And with his wings immense, he flew with him away.

As I rode through the wood, The floor covered with pallid leaves, I heard a scream floating along the billowing breeze, A scream so high it could pierce your ears.

So then I knew the path I had to go to.

But in an instant, My eyes flew to a path by my side and I saw a Food Hall, A Food Hall shimmering and new which I cantered to without a care in the blue for the little boy in the silver suit.

Isabelle Lazarus (aged 13)

Quieter than an owl hunting prey she came

Her voice an ebbing stream trickling down a mountain side

Her eyes stormy green, A never-ending song poured from her

as if sending a lullaby to the stars as if she herself was the song

Her robes controlled the sea and her amulets the stars in the darkening sky

The crowd danced to her music that seemed to stop time the beat impossible to count

And just as quickly as she appeared she melted into the shadows leaving the crowd in a dream of waves and flowers and stars

Maria Watson (aged 10)

Goddess of the Emerald Lake

Seafood Linguine

The waiter brought a bowl of steaming blue pasta, That whispered to me like the wind on the coast, I picked up my fork, Spinning the pasta gently around.

And the taste?

Flavours darted all around like fireworks: There were blues, and pinks and greens.

George Henty (aged 11)

Day at the Beach

Looking at the purple waves I thought about how much life there is in that one body of water - the purple waves gliding across the blue sands and the ombre of yellow and green and pink in the sky the thousand shells with a million colours warm colours mixed up my mind and I couldn’t focus anymore.

Santa Ivaskeviciute (aged 11)

Blue Water

The water undulates around me, Cold and blue, Tasting of breath mints, I turn my eyes to the sky

It glints like a diamond ring and I am running, My shoes filling with sand like on dusty roads. Suddenly the water swarms about me

And I am falling back into the reality of another day.

May Guttridge (aged 13)

Ice Cream

Gives you brain freeze, Melts in the boiling sun, Lives deep in your freezer, A cold sweet treat, Slithers down your throat,

Everybody likes it, Any flavour any colour, Strawberry is ruby red, Pistachio is lime green

But chocolate is my favourite.

Laurence Summers (aged 8)

The Sea

The sea is a big cat purring and reaching for the ball, Lying on the sea floor moaning and scratching the shore, Every day the sea cat plays with the ships, Juggling them like a clown without a care in the world, Always waiting for just one more…

Just one more to come, So the sea cat can have yet more fun.

Jerman (aged 11)

Ollie

My Shadow Night

My Shadow Night flies me to mystical places, While I look down far below at the deep blue, Carefully.

My Shadow Night sings me soothing, sweet songs, While I drift off to sleep, Soundly.

My Shadow Night protects me from danger, While I play by the colossal mountains, Cheerfully.

My Shadow Night gallops all the way to the glittering stars, While I look up at space, Longingly.

My Shadow Night leaps as high as the clouds, While I dance with her, Happily.

Clara Blyth (aged 8)

Treasure Island Dreams

I dream of an island, An island of dreams, Where gold sand holds hands with sapphire seas, And emerald leaves adorn jaded trees.

The song of an obsidian bird fills me with joy and relaxation, As shimmering waves twist and turn towards me.

And palm leaves twinkle in the wind, As the ruby sun drags me away from my treasure island dreams

Stanley Brown (aged 13)

I Am

A positive rainbow in someone else’s cloud, Lighting the way to the pot of gold

A patient seed waiting to be planted, waiting to be planted.

A conceited green python listening, seething, Hissing, Waiting for the perfect time to strike.

An exciting book ready to tell an adventure, All you need do is open the cover.

An anxious question wanting to be answered, Needing to be answered

A crazy jester, cartwheeling, bouncing, Not taking a minute to rest,

A lonely flower wilting in the darkness, waiting for someone to give me light.

Megan Munro (aged 13)

Rolling November Road

A light sandy brick road, long and thin, And a thin dreamy buzz coats the air and frames my senses, I lean over the ledge and look down at all of existence.

Right at the bottom sits a colourless fuzz.

Up against the golden path runs a hill of rainbows, Rainbows that nature grew from her fingertips with plants of every shade, The most real, organic rainbow to be seen

Lifted by the gold warm air the sunlight sways me forward into a momentum of turns through the sky, My feet skimming the brick with every circle I make. Fear scratches at my head but I never fall over, As I am carried by the soft breeze.

And the music and sun settle me down, Heaven touches my temple and flows through to my head And my heart is filled with joy and rest.

Amira Srouji (aged 13)

Special Universe

Stars shining, dancing and singing, Sing your tune, sing your song, sing your melody, In this dark night sky, alone, Sing your tune, sing your song, sing your melody.

Tie-dye t-shirt of sky, Paint your swirling colours bright, Twirling, turning, dancing, curving, Paint your swirling colours bright.

Planets floating in the dark, Spinning our universe, Comets shoot past Earth and Mars, Spinning our universe.

Anon (aged 11)

The Red Brick House

On my way to school I see a red brick house, The bricks are old and losing colour, The tulips outside are bright and red.

On my way to school I see an old lady planting flowers outside a red brick house. The flowers are bright and beautiful.

On my way to school I see a postman knocking on the door of a red brick house, His arms filled with cards.

On my way to school I see a young woman laying flowers at the door of the red brick house. She’s crying.

Charlie Lipscomb (aged 12)

Light Sleep

My room swirls around in my vision, My bed becomes a boat, And I am alone in the middle of a lake, Letting myself float, The lake becomes a forest, Full of multicoloured birds, Shouting at me in my mother’s voice The ground disappears and I fall Back into my bed.

Clara Lynn (aged 13)

Fox

A big bushy tail, Sneaking through the forest, Like a ninja, As orange as a sunset, Screaming like a ghost, Hungrily hunting its prey.

Will Plugge (aged 8)

Crocodile

How does the little crocodile improve his shining tail and pour the water of the Nile on every rising scale? How cheerfully does he seem to grin, and neatly spread his claws, then let all the little fishes swim into his smiley jaws!

Thomas Kokelaar (aged 12)

When I am warmed by the light of the sun that awakens my wings

I fly out of the cracks that beam the warming sun light into my hive The misty cold air is a waiting for me

I fly though the current that takes me to my destination where the meadow is waiting for me

I fly low in between tall grass

With flowers blooming beyond and above

Until I find the one

The one that will feed me

The one that keeps me alive

That one flower

That I have come for

Penelope Aeberhard (aged 11)

Bumble Bee

Fair Celia, in love with Oliver, a chap in love with fair Celia, Each morn, they fell in love again and his presence soothed fair Celia

Celia summoned him to the shed one night and told him it was about yesterday’s fight, Said her goodbye and went for the kill, Crept up behind him to collect her bill

She planted a velvet rose and placed it within his skull, Watered it with sweat and tears And will she pay?

God alone knows.

Sophia Wickham (aged 13)

Rose

Dreamland

Wisps of white fly by as I drift through the velvet sky, A symphony of shades shimmer side by side, Memories of old fade in and out of sight, Sweet grandma wearing her tortoiseshell specs, And grandpa, still smoking his old Kent cigarettes.

I reach out to touch him, but to no avail, He flutters away, leaving a silver smoke trail.

Light as feather, I sway in the breeze, And I start to fall downwards, into a canopy of trees, I crash through the rough leafy bamboos And find myself sitting in a soft chocolate pool, There are lily pads dotted around the lagoon, And swans - not any old swans, Blue swans, with scarlet tipped beaks.

I realise I am sinking, steadily, into the silky sweet liquid, But it is a nice feeling, and I don’t want it to stop, The light dissolves above me and my dream goes: POP!

Nicholas Garcia (aged 12)

Falling Dreams

waking up falling down fields stretch below me tempting me warm air caressing my face calm and silent clouds swirling infinity below me and yet, the ground so close I’ve been here before and I know I’m safe no time for dreading the ground’s embrace as greens and yellows sprint closer no need to escape this fantasy as I know that it’s not reality

Elizabeth Diggle (aged 11)

Last Afternoon

Last afternoon, I fell asleep, It had been a long, long day and my eyelids were painted with sleep.

I dreamt of a cafe, Walls set alight with fairy lights and sofas covered with pillows, Just as the sky was covered in stars.

Paintings blanketed the walls from head to toe, and in the air was the soft, sweet smell of marshmallows and smoke.

In that moment, In that café, I wanted nothing more than to sit for eternity and watch the laughing children pass.

But, last afternoon was soon last night and last night brought on the morning, The cafe gone, Together with the soft fairy-lights, and their gentle glow.

This afternoon, I fell asleep, It has been a long, long day, and my eyelids were painted with sleep.

I returned to the cafe, Returned the warm smile of the barista and a grin from a regular, Calm flooded my heart and I was finally home.

12)

Isobel Bispham (aged

Thick-Skinned

I am not ridiculed for my shape, Nor for my stitching or constant blushing.

If you ask me, I think I’m quite lucky, in a way: I have a job, some people don’t. On the other hand, most people’s jobs don’t involve: bodily harm, being spat on countless times, Polished against thighs and I sent skydiving, without a parachute.

To some of you this must sound appalling, even life threatening. But no, it is truly exhilarating, Give it a try someday.

Actually, maybe not, You might get hurt, Of course, that doesn’t happen to me because I’m thick skinned.

A Swirl of Colours

A mix of shapes

A swirl of colours

Then bang! I’m asleep

In my dreams I run wild I can do anything

Imagine anything

Dream everything:

Purple dinosaurs

They’re there!

Giant mice

They’re there!

Plants come alive, And food can talk, It’s insane but just when it starts

A mixture of shapes

A swirl of colours

Then bang! I’m awake.

Ethan Hayes Fernández (aged 13)

George Bowsher (aged 13)

Drama

Sixth Form: ‘The Tempest’

Kindergarten: A Wriggly Nativity

“I loved the part with Mary and Joseph. I was a princess and I liked that too.”

Sheena Jones (aged 4)

“I liked all the wriggling around we did in our Nativity and even the teachers did it too!”

Walter Mason (aged 5)

“All the clapping at the end made me feel so happy inside.”

Josephine Aeberhard (aged 5)

“I waved at my Mummy and Daddy.”

Mark Fairburn (aged 5)

“I liked it when the shepherds were waking up and going back to sleep.”

6)

T1: Christmas with the Aliens

I really enjoyed performing all the songs but my real favourite was Come On, Are You Ready? because it is such a bouncy song.

Marlowe Treger (aged 6)

“I liked it when Frank kicked the spaceship. We couldn’t stop laughing!”

Jamie Atkinson (aged 6)

“I loved it when the aliens crashed because the sound effects were cool.”

William Kilsby (aged 6)

“My best part was when Mr Evans chased the queens around the stage.”

Stacey Zhou (aged 6)

Alexander Shivareddy (aged

and

“It was fun when we pushed the Snow Queen out and she made us fall over because she was mean!”

Angus Hood & Philip Maisinger (both aged 7)

“I got to use the microphone which I really liked. All of our costumes were really good and made each character more realistic.”

Reika Varian (aged 7)

T2: The Lion, the Witch

the Wardrobe

“I loved our dance as it was filled with strong, powerful actions.”

Ayla Alt-Richter (aged 7)

“I really enjoyed it when all of Form 1 sang the last song; I felt so proud of us.”

Clara Blyth (aged 8)

Form 1: Roman Britain Rewritten

I liked the part when 1K did the invading Britain scene. The play taught me that the Romans were very strict, and even their soldiers spent whole days practicing their fighting techniques! I was proud of my loud voice in the play and how my volume improved throughout the rehearsal process.

Macsen Webb (aged 8)

The play was really fun; I played Boudicca and play a really scary role as a Celt. In the rehearsals, I learnt how to project my voice even louder. Our drama teacher added my friends’ idea of using the backstage as part of the play which was a very good idea. I definitely want to do the actual performance again - everyone did very well!

Arty Blair (aged 8)

Form 2: Words Alive

I loved being part of our Form 2 production as it was a real combination of dance, singing, poetry, lost words and movement and we worked really hard to bring back some of the words that have been forgotten over time. It was based on Robert Macfarlane’s book, ‘The Lost Words: A Spell Book’ and it tries to conjure back the lost magic of nature around us. A ‘charm’ of goldfinches, ‘acorn’, ‘bluebell’, ‘kingfisher’ and ‘wren’ are all some of the wonderful words that we tried to bring back to life through our production.

“Every time we were performing we had to make sure we worked together as a collective ensemble, rather than as individuals. This was how we brought back the lost words.”

James Hankey & Max Pearce (both aged 9)

“‘Words Alive’ was different from any production we have done previously as it relied a lot on group movement.”

Lock & Isabella Graham (both aged 9)

Oleh Butko (aged 9)

Abigail

“I loved playing the part of Thief 10.”

“Drama has been my favourite lesson due to the play we were all involved in. The performance was amazing and it was a great feeling to be part of this. What I loved was that all the characters were of equal importance.”

Theo Redpath (aged 10)

Third Form: Scheherazade

I have thoroughly enjoyed Drama this year and especially loved being in ‘Scheherazade’, which involved our whole year group. In the play my main role was the wife, as well as acting as a thief too and it was so much fun seeing the whole performance come together. There was also so much slapstick comedy which made it fun to be part of.

Florrie Toner (aged 9)

“I loved being part of ‘Scheherazade’. I learnt that it is not about the part you play but about how you play it.”

Theo Stephens-Uddin (aged 10)

Sophie Holmes (aged 10)

Form 4: A Night of Heroes, Monsters and Pirates

Each time we rehearsed, each of our plays just carried on getting better and more melodramatic. The final performance was amazing: everyone was so much more melodramatic than before and I thought it went so well. There was a funny moment in our play when Walter said “honey mooning” and I thought it was really funny. I really enjoyed all the planning with the costumes and the makeup looked really good and it just made each play better and more realistic.

Race Wong (aged 11)

“I loved the play because it was so engaging and everybody had a good solo or good ensemble part. I can’t wait until my next play.”

Toby Ali (aged 10)

“I enjoyed the play because it was fun to act, especially when we put the makeup and costumes on.”

Grace Lambert (aged 11)

“The play was so fun to perform and it is a feeling I will never forget in all my life.”

George Henty (aged 11)

Fifth Form: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

The most exciting part of ‘Joseph’ was the concept of the story itself and how it develops; although being a Bible story, the elements of comedy and the fun moments in all of our rehearsals and during the actual production itself just brought added joy to this play.

Cera Wong (aged 12)

I was a bodyguard, an adoring girl and a goat that was mercilessly ripped up by the band of brothers. I have really liked acting in ‘Joseph’ and will always have good memories of it.

Alfie Tucker (aged 12)

‘Joseph’ is so much fun to be part of and I have an amazing nine parts in the production! I have looked forward to being in the Form 5 play for so many years and now it is our turn! After this is over I can’t wait to do more Drama in my final year at St John’s!

Arthur Griffiths (aged 12)

“‘It was great to see how some of the younger years reacted to the funnier moments in ‘Joseph’. I loved the songs and how everyone was always smiling as it was so much fun.”

Afi Hussain (aged 12)

“I have loved all the rehearsals as we got to do so much singing! We were able to show all our hard work when we performed it.”

Alice Inglis (aged 12)

“We all learnt to sign for some of the ‘Joseph’ songs.”

Harrison Cathcart (aged 12)

“I loved speaking in a Shakespearean way.”

Alex Kuppen (aged 13)

“I performed as one of the Three Witches in ‘Macbeth’ and the choreography was very different from anything we had done before.”

Harriet Elend-Warner (aged 12)

“I was most looking forward to seeing us all in our costumes which brought each character to life even more.”

Isabelle Lazarus (aged 13)

“It is amazing when everyone lifts off the pages of the script and starts performing. Suddenly, the play comes alive!”

Frankie Benstead (aged 13)

Sixth Form: Shakespeare Plays

“I have really enjoyed working on the Shakespeare production - our last ever one at St John’s.”

Daniel Pretorius (aged 13)

“I have enjoyed the Shakespeare plays as I had the chance to pretend to be something I’m not. I was Olivia in ‘Twelfth Night’ and she is supposed to be grieving, then deeply in love with Cesario.”

Megan Munro (aged 13)

Sixth Form: Passion Play

It has been interesting to act with such emotion and the collective feelings that are produced with everyone’s performances. This combines to create a powerful atmosphere and tells the story with a lot of passion and emotions.

Amira Srouji (aged 13)

My dramatic ability has never been a strength but I was cast as Jesus. Suddenly, my passion for Drama has risen and my confidence has grown massively.

Sam Smith (aged 13)

“Emotions were so high and the atmosphere so respectful.”

Una Churchward (aged 13)

“The Passion Play comes with a sense of maturity and makes you really focus to ‘land the play’.”

Frankie Benstead (aged 13)

Sport

Rugby

I loved the rugby tournament at Brentwood as we played some great games! We worked hard to get through to the Final but we then drew against the opposing team, Bishop’s Stortford. I am proud of the fact that our U11A rugby team has remained unbeaten for the whole of the season which is a huge achievement.

Toby Ali (aged 10)

“I loved our last rugby game at St John’s as we finished on a high with a win. Everyone was more determined than ever to finish in this way.”

Jasper Fox Watson (aged 13)

“Our match against King’s Ely was tight. Our team’s spirit was high and nobody was backing down or giving up.”

Hector Douglas (aged 13)

“It was an amazing feeling winning our last ever rugby match playing for St John’s.”

Lorcan Hamilton (aged 13)

As captain of the St John’s A team my favourite moment was leading our team to beat St Faith’s on our last game ever at St John’s. It was so sad that this was our final time playing with each other but, on the positive side, it also felt as though we ended on a huge high. We all played our hearts out and finished with a great result we will get to always remember.

Alex Brezina (aged 13)

“I really enjoy our fixtures as they put our rugby skills into action. We also got introduced to some new rules, making the games even tenser!”

Lukas Knowles (aged 10)

“I like rugby because I get to tackle opponents to the ground and then sprint across the pitch. I love scoring tries!”

Zebbie Halban Taylor (aged 10)

“Rugby is great because you have the chance to take part in so many matches and, at the same time, meet lots of new people from different schools.”

Singhé Ato (aged 10)

“I love learning how to play rugby as I now know how to tackle effectively.”

William Srinivasan (aged 10)

Hockey

What I love about playing hockey is that we get to play against so many other schools and develop our skills during all these matches. Even though we do not always win we are always a strong team and when we say three cheers for the opposing team we all come together and we all smile and congratulate each other.

Rosie Brown (aged 10)

I have loved being in the A team and one of the highlights was going to take part in the IAPS tournament. We didn’t make it to the Nationals but we all tried our best and utilised our skills the best we could and it was a great experience in our last year at St John’s. Another hockey highlight was when we played against King’s Ely and I had a hit from the top of the D and it went straight in the goal! We ended up winning the match 3-0!

Hattie Milton (aged 13)

“I absolutely love hockey and being in the As as we played at the IAPS, County and at the Olympic Park in London. I have just loved every part of this hockey term.”

Isabella MacLean (aged 11)

“I love playing hockey because you can run with the ball and you have a feeling of delight when you score a goal and win as a team.”

Lucy Sawtell (aged 12)

“I feel really happy when I am playing hockey and learning new skills for the game.”

Aline Halban Taylor (aged 11)

“The best part about playing hockey is chasing the ball down the pitch.”

Lucy Bennington (aged 9)

Hockey has been great this season as we have had the chance to really test our skills and teamwork at both the IAPS and the County tournaments. We had a great turn-out at the IAPS as we communicated well and passed to each other well and we were really happy that we came second in the Plate. The matches against all the other schools went really well and I was happy that I scored two hattricks and many other goals. One of the times I scored, the ball hit the crossbar and then went in! I am now looking forward to playing hockey in my next school.

Evie Oates (aged 13)

“We merged teams with Form 6 girls which was great as it meant we played new players and picked up new skills. I also love hockey club as it is also mixed years and it is a more relaxed way of enjoying hockey outside of matches.”

Inese Khaled (aged 12)

“My best time playing hockey was the match against The Leys because I felt like our team really played our best and worked so hard together and we communicated well.”

Clara Lynn (aged 13)

“I have really enjoyed taking part in our House hockey matches because it is a good feeling to know you are all working together for your House, you can support each other and celebrate together.”

Mila Thomson (aged 10)

“It is good to know the rules and responsibilites of playing any team sport.”

Alex Brezina (aged 13)

“Our first ever match went very well! I’d say I’m best at attacking. Some skills I have learnt which have helped me in our matches are dribbling and throwing the ball over the stick to get it past the opposing team and which always surprises them.”

James Hankey (aged 9)

I have loved playing hockey this term more than any other time. Throughout this hockey season, I have learnt a 3D skill, how to v-drag and how to have a better mindset mid game which have all been beneficial. I have also played in a County tournament and this experience enabled me to become a much better teammate along with improving my actual skills.

Gabriel Gritten (aged 13)

Our most recent match was great fun and I loved defending the ball. The high morale in our team was amazing, as well as teamwork. I loved tackling the opposite team and the feeling of achievement when I received the ball. A skill I have been learning is to encourage my fellow team members more. The mindset I have been using are Focusing Frog and I am trying to improve at being a Flexible Flamingo.

Max Pearce (aged 9)

“I really enjoy seeing us all improve as the season goes on. Hockey is my favourite sport and my best moments have been playing in tournaments with the year above me and winning. It was always a great feeling!”

Lukas Knowles (aged 10)

“Hockey isn’t just something that can help you to get involved with sport but it is a way to represent the school with your teammates and feel proud of your achievements.”

Sam Smith (aged 13)

U11 County & Regional Hockey Winners

It was amazing fun and a great achievement winning the hockey County Cup this year. To top it off we also won the Regionals! The most exciting part was being in the Semi-Finals as the outcome went down to penalty flicks and we won with Magnus’ penalty flick. He was incredible as he did the best penalty flick I have seen into the top left-hand corner! It was brilliant when the ball went in and we were able to celebrate as a team.

Toby Ali (aged 10)

“Winning the County Cup was a great feeling. We were successful because we are already such great friends and know and trust each other so well. The best moment was when Blake (our goalie) did a great diving save! I like hockey because it is a team sport.”

Harry Dixon (aged 11)

“Winning County and Regionals was a fantastic achievement and one I will never forget. One of favourite moment was when Lukas managed a short corner solo goal.”

Leo Barron Humphrey (aged 11)

“Winning felt like the best thing ever. We had great teamwork and an amazing coach. We didn’t concede any goals at County.”

Arthur Cobb (aged 11)

“The best part was when the Final finished with us winning!”

Joshua McGrory (aged 11)

“What I find the most thrilling in hockey is when you are in a one on one with the attacker and you save the goal and you and your team celebrate together and our teamwork then flourishes. I believe it is one of the reasons why we won County and Regionals.”

Blake Carver (aged 11)

Netball

“It is important to always support your team no matter what happens in a match.”

13)

“In netball this term, I went to the IAPS tournament at Uppingham which was a great experience because it was our biggest tournament yet and we could test our skills.”

Grace Lambert (aged 11)

“I loved playing netball and being part of our House matches (because Gunning won!). It is brilliant to use our skills when we play against other schools too.”

Race Wong (aged 11)

Alyse Baines (aged

I have really enjoyed the aspect of teamwork in netball this year. All of the competitive games have enabled us to bring our team together as one and to work with each other on the pitch and on the sidelines too. It is important to recognise and cater for everyone’s skills and abilities within the team.

Amira Srouji (aged

13)

“Netball has been a great sport for me this year and I have loved taking part in extra netball session which have improved my skills and helped me to prepare for matches.”

Naiara Hayes Fernández (aged 10)

“I really enjoyed being passed to in our most recent match and shooting. The ball is very light and has a nice texture. When I spring up to shoot, it feels like I’m a Pegasus, and then, when the ball is in the hoop, I love the suspense of whether the ball will go in or not.”

Beatrice Chowdhury (aged 9)

“I have really enjoyed running to intercept the ball in netball and all the teamwork involved and being a valued member of the team. The two mindsets I have been using are Focusing Frog and Enjoying Elephant.”

Zuzanna Zylak (aged 9)

Cricket

“I love playing cricket because you get a rush when your batting or bowling is accurate. You feel amazing when you hit a four or a six.”

Elizabeth Diggle (aged 11)

I took part in a Cricket Festival this term and I really enjoyed the whole experience of it. I love playing cricket against other schools as it really helps to boost your confidence as a player and it helps you to get fully involved and to use the skills you have been practising.

Martha Gritten (aged 11)

Our team represented St John’s at the St Faith’s cricket tournament. When we arrived, our team felt a little bit nervous but we were determined to do well. As the day went on and after each of our post-match team talks about what went well and what we could improve upon we really started to win more matches and do well.

Tilly Denman (aged 11)

“I love all the sports we take part in because they are such a good way to learn to work with other people and make awesome friends too.”

Daphne Jerram (aged 10)

Cricket is one of my favourite sports and I have been waiting for it to come ever since the hockey season started. I enjoy matches because playing sport is always fun, being outside and getting fresh air, combined with sharing the experience with your teammates.

Archie Formston (aged 12)

“I love our long sports lessons on a Wednesday afternoon as we get to play cricket matches against other schools and we work well as a team and use the skills we have developed.”

Effie Thomson (aged 12)

Football

I loved the Football Competition because it was another sport to take part in and to enjoy, as well as our normal termly sports. My highlights were when Daphne did an amazing kick into the goal and Martha kicked the ball left-footed into the goal. We all cheered so loudly. I loved that we could show our football skills and play matches against so many other schools.

Penelope Aeberhard (aged 11)

Taking part in the Cambridge United Football Competition was the best thing ever! I’ve always enjoyed playing football so it made me more comfortable with it. I learnt lots of new skills and working together to score goals was just amazing. When we found out we were second we were so proud.

Clarissa Pilato (aged 11)

“Taking part in the Cambridge United Competition was a chance to play another sport we love against many other schools on one day. The stadium was huge!”

Emma Fawcus (aged 11)

“It was a great feeling coming second in the Competition. We won one of our matches 8-0, perhaps because we worked so well as a strong team.”

Imogen O’Reilly (aged 11)

“The best part was the last match as the winners of the match would determine which team came second! It brought the best of each player in our team.”

Poppy Slater (aged 11)

“One of my proudest sporting moments of my last year at St John’s was going to the Football IAPS and reaching the Semi-Finals.”

Zackary Crosbie (aged 13)

“The best part about playing football is playing a sport I love with the younger years. I have also played for a club outside of school. We had the chance to go to the Football IAPS which was really fun. We had played teams I have played before which made it even more memorable and enjoyable.”

Billy Malyon (aged 13)

Pre-Prep Sports Day

“You had to concentrate hard on the obstacle race and look ahead.”

Emilie Trinidad (aged 7)

“I liked it when the big children gave us our badges. They were very kind.”

Robert Gomersall (aged 6)

“It was exciting when we had to give the baton to the next person when we were running the relay.”

Kit Doodson (aged 6)

“The T2 class relay was super fun. We were all cheering each other on. We ran so fast!”

Iris Carver (aged 6)

“My favourite race was the relay and we all ran so fast.

Josephine Aeberhard (aged 5)

“I liked watching the older children.”

Leo Dolan (aged 5)

“My favourite thing is that KGH won the relay race.”

Alice Read (aged 5)

“I liked having a colour ribbon on my top.”

Lindsay Li (aged 5)

“I liked winning badges. I liked all the colours! My top was full of colours.”

Walter Mason (aged 5)

Forms 1 to 6 Sports Day

“When the rope crossed the line in tug-of-war my body filled with so many positive emotions.”

Arthur Manning (aged 13)

Taking part in the discus was the highlight for me. I tried to be as supportive as I could to everyone else taking part and we all shared techniques to be the best we could. I was pleased when I won.

Shemi Ayers (aged 13)

I always look forward to Sports Day because I enjoy taking part in so many events and I love my team as we are great friends too! Sports Day is one of many days when you can show your strengths and your perseverance in different sports and also show sportsmanship as well.

Evelyn Austen (aged 10)

Sports Day was so much fun from start to finish. I really enjoyed the Girls’ Relay 4 x 100m. Beaufort won and I am House captain so I got to hold the cup which was a wonderful memory for me to have.

Hattie Milton (aged 13)

“The tug-of-war was very intense and you could feel the aura when you first grabbed the rope. My House won overall because we worked together well and were determined to win.”

Hector Douglas (aged 13)

“I looked forward to taking part in the Great Race because everyone holds hands towards the end and it is so uplifting if you win.”

Effie Thomson (aged 12)

“I enjoyed the Form 6 Boys’ relay as I ran faster than I have ever run before and Fisher won that race!”

Bertie Banks (aged 13)

“It was a fantastic feeling winning the 100m, 200m and the shot put on my last St John’s Sports Day.”

Alex Brezina (aged 13)

“Sprinting towards the finishing line in the Great Race and holding hands as we won was a phenomenal experience.”

Elias Brown (aged 13)

“The team spirit in our relay was the best part.”

Arthur Toner (aged 13)

“Even though it was raining I still loved taking part in the long jump and I am proud of myself because I managed to break the school record for it.”

Gabriel Gritten (aged 13)

“I loved winning medals as it gives me a sense of achievement.”

Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

“The most memorable part were the relays because of the amount of support that was shown. It was such a great atmosphere.”

Frankie Benstead (aged 13)

“The best part was the high jump as I was extremely happy that I won.”

Zackary Crosbie (aged 13)

“I am always excited to see how far my ball soars through the sky with my ball throw.”

Naiara Hayes Fernández (aged 10)

“My highlight of my last Sports Day was our tug-ofwar as I have seen so many Form 6 take part and to finally do that was such an achievement in itself.”

Una Churchward (aged 13)

Running

Field Run is a great time every Friday morning to get my personal best (PB) up to scale! I enjoy it and it definitely wakes me up so early. It is good fun as it is everyone from Form 3 to Form 6 and we all support each other. It is a great experience and not at all competitive as the aim is to improve your own PB and not race against other people. I like it when the Byron House children take part as we get to cheer them on and give them high fives when they are running to help them reach the finishing line.

Isabella MacLean (aged 11)

“Every Friday at 8am we take part in Field Run. It is a lot of fun. We host the event when Byron House come and marshall and carry out the warm-ups. It is a fun atmosphere and an event which we all look forward to.”

Charlie Smith (aged 13)

Oundle Restless Development Triathlon

The Oundle Triathlon was great fun, and I received a lot of support. The school advertised it so quite a few of my friends and others from school participated. I practiced running in a field and during my swimming lessons. After the race, I felt impressed that I had finished it.

Saffron Bentley (aged 7)

I am pleased that I could help raise money for others and help the charity. I practiced really hard for the triathlon by swimming in a pool in America, cycling in my tennis court and running in my garden. I am so glad I took part.

Nancy Reed Herbert (aged 7)

Squash & Fives

I have greatly enjoyed doing squash and fives as my main sport at the Cambridge University Sports Centre. It has been so much fun learning a new sport and getting to know other people. It has given me more confidence in my sporting abilities when I play for Linton Aztecs outside of school. All of these sports have enabled me to make new friends and built up my team spirit.

Arthur Toner (aged 13)

“I like sport; it gives me great joy. There was a nice atmosphere and when I finished, I felt really hot but had a really great sense of achievement.”

Gyuwon Lee (aged 8)

SJCS Riding Team

I love riding with the St John’s team and being able to represent the school. We have taken part in lots of competitions but my favourite was at Forest Edge Arena as my pony, Tulip, was soaring so well over the jumps. We have qualified for many events and I can’t wait to take part with the rest of the team, especially the show jumping at the upcoming NSEA.

Aline Halban Taylor (aged 11)

Tennis

I was really happy to choose tennis as my games option as I enjoy this sport. My doubles partner and I did not always win matches but we tried our hardest, encouraged each other and had a lot of fun trying to improve at the same time.

Basak Dogan (aged 12)

Rowing

I really enjoy rowing. I love the feeling of gliding through the water. We sometimes row on the ergo rowing machines to focus our techniques before heading out on the water. We row in singles as well as in a quad. The quad can go very fast as it is four people combining their power and strength as a team. I have also been really lucky to be able to have a chance to cox a quad too.

Charlie Lipscomb (aged 12)

“It was great fun taking part in the St Faith’s Indoor Rowing Competition as there were different events you could do. The atmosphere was very welcoming and supportive and people were cheering each other on.”

Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

“Taking part in the IAPS Sailing tournament at Weymouth was a great experience.”

Henry Lambert (aged 12)

Swimming

I love swimming and I enjoyed taking part in the House swimming competition. I also participated in the IAPS and was happy to come second in my race. I love swimming as it is so good for your fitness and your overall health. I love the sport at St John’s because when you do well or you team wins it is a real feeling of team effort and feeling proud that you represented the school and did the best you possibly could.

Harry Brown (aged 13)

Golf

Learning how to play golf is something that I have really enjoyed doing. Golf Club is an activity that always ends up being one of the highlights of my week. It is really enjoyable as you are learning a new sport and it is also very relaxing.

Sam Tagger (aged 12)

Activities Week

Form 2 Grafham Water Trip

“At Grafham Water, we did raft building, kayaking and cycling and we also bounced on a massive trampoline too. It was a brilliant and fun day.”

Jing Jin & Oliver Yao (both aged 9)

Form 3 Staycation & Caythorpe Court Trip

My favourite part about the staycation was the pool disco. It was so much fun when I played water polo and watched the float battle. The spa was amazing too because I got to get a Mohawk. Caythorpe was great as the food was amazing and there was a flavoured water machine! My favourite activity was the giant swing because of how thrilling it was. I loved the feeling when you suddenly dropped and swung. It was amazing.

Cormac Hamilton (aged 10)

My favourite activity was definitely the trapeze where you climbed up a long pole and, once you got really high, you had to climb on a wooden platform and jump off it and try and catch the trapeze that was dangling. I also really liked the giant swing where you were strapped to a metal bar and the instructor and the rest of the group would pull you up towards the sky which was really high. One of you would have to pull a rope and then you would drop and swing! I really liked canoeing and at the end you could even swim in the lake. I didn’t....it was really cold!

Arthur Elliott (aged 10)

“ I was so sad when we had to go because I wanted to stay and do everything again.”

Cara

Brown (aged 10)

“We went caving and my favourite part in the cave was when all our lights went out and the instructor told a story.”

Benedict Xin (aged 11)

Form 4 Ravenstor Trip

I really enjoyed the Ravenstor trip because we did loads of fun things like abseiling, caving, potholing, den making and fire building. My favourite activity was abseiling because it was really fun but also really scary. I wish I could go on that trip again because I enjoyed doing the activities with my friends. The dorm was amazing and the house was beautiful.

Barnaby Hill (aged 11)

My favourite activity was definitely exploring the old caves underground. I tried weaselling for the first time and it was fun trying to fit through all of these small gaps! We did a competition on which team could design the highest egg rocket without the egg cracking! Our team came second and our rocket went so high that we couldn’t find it.

Tilly Denman (aged 11)

“Ravenstor was an amazing trip because of all the wonderful outdoor activities and the amount of running around we could do. All the teachers we so fun and very energetic but, at the same time, helping us be very mature and follow instructions.”

Oscar Thomson (aged 10)

Form 5 Rockley Trip

I really enjoyed all the water sports we did, especially the sailing. On the third day we did a day sail,where we got to pick our partners and we got a sailing boat that we had to rig up and sail towards where we were having our picnic. We got to where we were having our picnic after about three hours because we were sailing and a lot of my friends kept falling in. After lunch, we sailed back to Rockley beach and it was really fun because me and my friend nearly capsized the sailing boat a lot.

Lucy Sawtell (aged 12)

My favourite part about the Rockley trip was the day sail. We sailed from Rockley across the sea to a park on the coast, then back again. It took about seven hours. I also really enjoyed kayaking because when you worked together you went so fast. I liked the SUP boarding (stand up paddle boarding) a lot, there was a mega SUP which eleven of us stood on and, surprisingly, we went slower!

Caspar Parvin-Chambers (aged 12)

“The sailing was extremely fun and I loved the day sail to the other side of Poole where we played football and had lunch before sailing back. The paddle boarding was great! I loved capsizing my friend and jumping in the water.”

Henry Bessemer Clark (aged 11)

“We

jumped from kayak to kayak trying not to fall in.

I kept very balanced and managed it but the best reward was jumping in at the end.”

12)

Amir Jambor-Sadeghian (aged

Leavers

“Hands down, the Ardèche was a legendary trip!.”

Shemi Ayers (aged 13)

Ardèche Trip

I really enjoyed our day in Vallon because we could properly experience authentic French culture in a freer way. I also really enjoyed the Accrobranche trip because I decided to go on the Via Ferrata- ‘The Iron Way’. We scaled the side of a rocky mountain which is an experience I won’t forget.

Max Wickham (aged 13)

I enjoyed the kayaking the most because everyone was trying to target Mr Carter to capsize him into the water but, unfortunately, we failed! I also loved sleeping under the stars. It was so much fun as it was a chance for all of us to bond as much as we could before leaving St John’s. Another highlight was visiting the town as it was an excellent opportunity for us to speak French.

Una Churchward (aged 13)

I really enjoying kayaking with Chace down the Ardèche river. The rapids were brilliant fun and we managed to storm ahead of everyone on the last stretch and got first pupil boat home. I also really enjoyed sleeping under the stars, playing cards with a big group of friends and challenging my bravery with the 300m zipline across the river on the Accrobranche trip.

Hector Douglas (aged 13)

“The first activity was archery which was great fun and we played capture the flag with the England and Spanish flags.”

Megan Munro (aged 13)

“The water rapids during our kayaking and the cliff jumping were particularly thrilling.”

Alyse Baines (aged 13)

“I enjoyed the cliff jump when we were on the river because it pushed people out of their comfort zones and you felt as though you had achieved something new.”

Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

“I loved how we were all so connected on the trip as it really felt like we were one big group.”

Harriet Elend-Warner (aged 12)

“I liked the experience of visiting Vallon, the nearest town. This was a great opportunity to enjoy some local culinary delights.”

Dev Patel (aged 13)

“It was fun when we all fell in the river when we were kayaking. I also loved going in to the town and speaking French.”

Dotty Gardiner (aged 12)

“Being high up in the trees as well as tackling the obstacles was thrilling. It also brought everyone together like never before.”

Charlie Smith (aged 13)

I really enjoyed the town trip in the Ardèche as we got to branch out and be more independent with how we explored the area. We got to practice a lot of French and it is always good to speak a language in real life situations. The kayaking was great because you had the thrill of going down the river and also the calmer moments of looking at the beautiful river scenery. Accrobranche was good fun as we had complete freedom over the courses we did which encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones.

Amira Srouji (aged 13)

“I loved the two-day river descent as it was so exhilarating going down the fast rapids with my friends. We learnt to be strong on the river and be very resilient.”

Jasper Fox Watson (aged 13)

“We worked so well as a team during the two-day river descent.” Alex Kuppen (aged 13)

The descent was definitely

and was a part

but incredibly

that I will always remember. I also loved Accrobranche as it was so much fun watching Mr Carter have a little wobble and then get a bit annoyed with me for wobbling the rope even more!

tiring

scenic

of the trip

Frankie Benstead (aged 13)

Choristers’ Trips

In Activities Week the Form 6 Choristers had the chance to visit Paris and London, both of which I really enjoyed. We watched the musical ‘Guys and Dolls’ in the West End in London and we also went to Disneyland in Paris which was an incredible and fun experience. I will always remember this trip for years to come.

Gabriel Gritten (aged 13)

“We went on the Eurostar to Paris and went up the Eiffel Tower. The view from up so high was just incredible.”

Monty Tatnell (aged 13)

“My favourite ride at Disneyland was Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain!”

Charlie Lipscomb (aged 12)

“The Leavers’ Programme was very educational and I learnt so much but it was also great fun!”

Daniel Pretorius (aged 13)

Leavers’ Programme

My favourite day was the one at Parkside Pool as I went down the flumes so many times with my friends. I always went in the front seat but it was only later that I found out that it was difficult for the person at the back to hold on! The Water Park was good, especially the war at the end, as it was very fast-paced! London Zoo was also a brilliant trip seeing the penguins race around and have fun.

Hector Douglas (aged 13)

“I felt proud to have designed the winning Hoodie for the 2024 Leavers.”

May Guttridge (aged 13)

“I enjoyed it when the creative designer visited as it was fascinating hearing about a job I didn’t know much about beforehand.”

Isabelle Lazarus (aged 13)

“The sound bath was so relaxing, especially as it was part of a busy day at school. It made you feel so calm.”

Harriet Elend-Warner (aged 12)

“The drugs workshop was so educational and I learnt a lot.”

Lorcan Hamilton (aged 13)

At London Zoo we were in groups and freely explored all of the animals we were interested in which was nice as it felt like the trip was customised to each group’s liking which gave the trip a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed the Water Park as it really brought out the different characters in the year group and it was great to be included in something fun and outgoing. We took part in a Cambridge Scavenger Hunt which was a great way of encouraging us to explore different parts of the city and to experience such a familiar place with our year group.

Amira Srouji (aged 13)

One of my favourite parts of the Leavers’ Programme was the research project as I thought it was really interesting. I found out about a lot of facts that I had previously been unaware of. My project was based around the negative aspects of particular clothing brands.

Cecilia Forsberg (aged 13)

“Box End Water Park was such a fun day as we were all pushing each other in! I found the drug workshop interesting and quite moving as we heard stories from people who had been addicted. Self defence was also a good life skill.”

Una Churchward (aged 13)

“I made so many memories from the Leavers’ Programme. I loved Thorpe Park because I got over a lot of my fears. The Zoo was exciting as well as we saw so many exotic animals.”

Jasper Fox Watson (aged 13)

“I loved the Animal Encounters workshop and seeing so many animals from different habitats. It was great being able to see and stroke an owl and a meerkat.”

Alyse Baines (aged 13)

“I loved the video game session because it gave me a better understanding of the process of how to make a game.”

Dev Patel (aged 13)

“Box End Park was one of my favourite activities but I also liked seeing the animals, fish and insects at London Zoo. The Scavenger Hunt was great as we had to look carefully for clues.”

Richard Li (aged 13)

“I loved the penguins and the tigers at London Zoo because they are thrilling animals to see in real life.”

Ahmad (aged 12)

“Our Charities Fair was a chance to raise money but also to soak the teachers with sponges and water too!”

Dotty Gardiner (aged 12)

“The African Drumming session was cool seeing how amazing the leader was at drumming. Parkside Pool was also really fun jumping in and shooting down the flumes.”

George Bowsher (aged 13)

“Duolingo was helpful for language learning at my next school. I learnt new facts with my Extended Research Project.”

Georgia Chesterfield (aged 13)

Safiyya

Form 6 Leavers’ Destination Schools

Culford

Megan Munro

Eton

Kevin Ke

Gresham’s

Shemi Ayers

Bertie Banks

Haileybury

Elias Brown

Charlie Lipscomb

Harrow

Max Wickham

Hethersett Academy

Sam Smith

King’s Canterbury

Monty Tatnell

King’s School, Ely

Alyse Baines

Harry Brown

Stanley Brown

Georgia Chesterfield

Zackary Crosbie

Hector Douglas

Jasper Fox Watson

Dotty Gardiner

Joseph Robinson

Sophia Wickham

Oundle

Gabriel Gritten

Thomas Kokelaar

Dev Patel

Kurt Roeloffs

Sancton Wood

Isobel Bispham

Billy Malyon

St Christopher

May Guttridge

St Mary’s School, Cambridge

Safiyya Ahmad

Isabelle Lazarus

Stephen Perse Foundation

George Bowsher

Harriet Elend-Warner

Cecilia Forsberg

Carmen Navarro

Daniel Pretorius

Amira Srouji

The Leys

Victor Baviera Jurado

Frankie Benstead

Alexander Brezina

Chace Carver

Una Churchward

Harry Cross

Charlie Jerram

Alex Kuppen

Richard Li

Arthur Manning

Hattie Milton

Evie Oates

Charlie Smith

The Perse Upper

Lorcan Hamilton

Ethan Hayes Fernández

Clara Lynn

Mei Mei Noble

Alicia Quirke

Arthur Toner

Form 6 Leavers’ Scholarships & Awards

53 Form 6 boys and girls are leaving for Senior Schools. 18 awards were achieved as follows:

Shemi Ayers

Bertie Banks

Frankie Benstead

George Bowsher

Elias Brown

Cecilia Forsberg

Gabriel Gritten

Kevin Ke

Isabelle Lazarus

Charlie Lipscomb

Dev Patel

Daniel Pretorius

Joseph Robinson

Charlie Smith

Amira Srouji

Monty Tatnell

Max Wickham

Sophia Wickham

Headmaster’s Award

Headmaster’s Award

Drama Scholarship

Academic Scholarship

Gresham’s

Gresham’s

The Leys

Stephen Perse Foundation

Drama Scholarship Haileybury

Academic Scholarship

Music Scholarship

Music Exhibition

Academic & DT Scholarships

Stephen Perse Foundation

Oundle

Eton

St Mary’s, Cambridge

Music Scholarship Haileybury

Academic Exhibition in Humanities & DT Oundle

Sport Scholarship

Music Scholarship

Drama Exhibition

Academic & Art Scholarships

Music Scholarship

Music Scholarship

Music Scholarship

Where a child has gained an award in the same discipline for more than one school, only the award for the destination school is recorded.

Stephen Perse Foundation

King’s Ely

The Leys

Stephen Perse Foundation

King’s Canterbury

Harrow

King’s Ely

Head Boy’s Address on Speech Day

Thank you very much Mr Murray for being with us today, for your words and for your support of the school over many years. As I begin this speech, I would like to check that I have all of my sheets. I am known to forget my sheets in concerts!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teaching staff at St John’s. As I have been at the school since KG, there are a lot of teachers and teaching assistants who have had to put up with me. It is impossible to name them all but I started with Mrs Cash in KG in 2014, along with many of my peers now in Form 6. Nine years is a very long time when you are only 13 years old! Thank you to everyone who has taught me and to all those who have helped to guide us in our journey through St John’s.

Since starting in KG, I have amassed many lovely memories over the years and I should like to share some of them with you now. Before I start my reminiscences, I would particularly like to thank my Byron House teachers for being supportive and tolerant, since in Byron House I was, I’m not sure what the right word is, a maniac!

I remember in T2 when we were given new classes and new teachers. My new teacher was Miss Williams and I remember one of the first things she did was to sit us down on the mat and try to learn all of our names. She did this by going from one child to the next and asking them their name in an order. While she was doing ‘A’ a thought flashed into my mind about how I could trick my new teacher. I turned to the boy next to me, Jimmy Diggle, and quickly asked him to swap places with me. At this stage, Jimmy and I looked incredibly similar. When Miss Williams came round to everyone again repeating their names and got to me, I shouted with a smug smile on my face, “I’m not Jimmy”. After this the entire class broke into laughter and she had to start learning our names all over again.

In Form 2, our class topic was ‘Spies’. At the end of every lunch break there was a secret spy folder that was hidden somewhere in the playground and, if I remember correctly, one person was allocated each day to go and find the spy folder. The folder would contain what we would do in that afternoon’s lesson, but because it had been concealed in a special way I remember the whole class would be excited about what was contained inside. When lunch break ended, everyone came running back to class from break to see what was in the folder.

Another time in Form 2 I was running away from the catcher and I turned a corner and there was someone there running straight towards me. To avoid them I stepped straight into a wall. I have a strong image of when I was walking back to Reception being helped along by other children. I remember the largest concern on my mind being that I hadn’t had lunch yet and probably wouldn’t get any because I would have to spend the entire break with the Nurse. Nothing else about the situation worried me in the slightest bit.

One of my fondest memories was last year in Bugsy Malone when Milan and Riley (on separate occasions), splurged Mr Clarke by having a cream pie pushed in his face. It was the end of the play on both occasions and the whole year was very excited since we had just finished a play and we all gave a cheer each time Mr Clarke was splurged.

My strongest memory of the trip to the Ardèche was after Mr Carter had been splashing every single boat with his oar by hitting it on the water. We stopped at a little beach on the bank of the Ardèche where everyone formed a circle around Mr Carter and began to splash him as hard as possible as he stood still in

the middle and was buried by water. Another fond memory from this trip was after everyone had jumped in the water from a high rock. The last person to jump was a kayak instructor called Keke; he jumped, did one and a half flips, and landed in a dive. This had just come out of nowhere and everyone that had seen it started shouting in excitement. Keke had legendary status for the rest of the descent!

I remember just a couple months ago, at the end of a rugby tournament, I had just had my last match at St John’s and the whole team was in a huddle while Mr G talked to us about how that was our last game at St John’s. For me there was one beautiful moment when he talked about our journey through rugby from our first game at King’s until that moment. As he said this all, my memories of sport at St John’s flashed through my mind. It was an incredible feeling that was reflected by the great orange sunset on that rugby pitch. I had this same feeling when Kieran ran up and bowled the last ball of the last cricket game (which was a beautiful wicket as it happens). These two events have made me realise how much I have enjoyed sport at St John’s all the way from KG up until Form 6. I have always looked forward to Games lessons but only now have I realised how much.

I have enjoyed my time at St John’s hugely. I have enjoyed every year from KG to Form 6 and I am sad to leave. I wish the best of luck to the next Head Boy and Girl and all the years below. Thank you.

Elias Brown

I arrived at St John’s 6 years ago, which is almost half my life and is the half that I really remember. When I think about the person I was when I first joined and who I am now, it amazes me just how much the school has shaped me and brought out the best in me. And not just me. When I look at my year, this Form 6 year, and all the incredible things they have achieved and the amazing people they have become during the time they have been here, we can all say how fortunate we have been.

I feel so privileged to talk about all the incredible things that have happened to me here and, particularly, all the wonderful people who I have to thank for this. The school only works as well as it does because of the contribution of everyone who works here. I would firstly like to thank all the Maintenance staff. I feel we do not always help in making the school the easiest place to look after - the regularly flooded loos, rogue balls which have somehow come to rest on top of the Green Court Locker and the regularly damaged Green Court fence! Despite this, you always seem to be able to restore order. We are all grateful for your ongoing patience and perseverance! I would secondly like to thank the Cleaning and Gardening Teams. Arriving every morning to a spotless and well-ordered school allows everything else to go ahead smoothly and it is easy to forget those that take so much time and care to make that happen. A huge thank you to the Catering team who are a key part of keeping us well fed and happy. Most of us have come to midday with all snacks long since eaten and feeling very hungry. Your apple crumble will be sorely missed by me and many of the other Leavers!

Another huge thank you must also go to the Administration staff, further unsung heroes who provide such a key role in making sure that St John’s runs smoothly. I have often thought that when organising school tours, selecting the right pupil to show round prospective parents must create some interesting dilemmas but you manage to do it so well.

Lastly, I would like to give a huge thank you to Catherine and Ruth for their calm and reassuring presence. I think that every newcomer at St John’s should be told that if ever any problem should arise the motto is - “Keep Calm and go see Catherine”. She is such a huge part of St John’s and I cannot imagine the place without her. She somehow has an answer for almost every problem imaginable and we all truly wouldn’t know what to do without her. I’m sure she will not miss regularly being called by my dad 10 minutes before Waiters is due to start asking me to be put in, only to be called 5 minutes after it has started to be told I don’t need to go after all.

When we were told by Mr Harding that this last year would go very quickly, I am not sure any of us believed him but he has been proved right. St John’s has been such a huge part of my life and even though I have been preparing for this day for a term now I still cannot believe that this is the last time that we will all be together. This 6-year journey has been a wonderful one. The early days in Byron House, learning to be a Flexible Flamingo and a Risk-Taking Raccoon whilst trying to avoid being a Pain in the Bumblebee, or perhaps that should be Bumblesnout.

Moving up into Senior House and being part of the wonderful buddy system, getting involved in so many plays, concerts, school trips and activities. St John’s has really helped me become so much more of a confident and outgoing person.

Head Girl’s Address on Speech Day

This was sometimes good, sometimes bad. Mr Clarke clearly noticed these changes in the Form 4 christening me with the simple nickname “Noise”.

Drama especially has been a huge part of my time here and I have been involved in so many wonderful productions, my favourite being Bugsy Malone. One particular memory is when I was too ill to attend an important rehearsal and my Mum emailed Mr Clarke to tell him so. He told her it was completely fine and that he had found the perfect replacement. I spent the whole day worrying about who this could be and whether they might be so good, I might lose the role. I was told the next day that Seb had been an excellent Tallulah!

The Ardèche trip has been one of the highlights as the whole year group became so much closer and the many wonderful memories I will have forever. In particular Mr Carter, who capsized in spectacular fashion but claimed he was simply being “at one with the river”. And Mr Clarke, the only person to pack his dressing gown. St John’s has also allowed me to pursue my love of singing and I must particularly thank Mr Lepage-Dean. There is so much I could say but it can be summed up by saying – “You’re a banger mate!”

There are two people who should be here to celebrate with us but cannot. Mr McComb and Ms Grant who have both been a huge part of my time at St John’s. I remember Mr McComb’s excellent multitasking on the Rockley trip, effortlessly ensuring all was well at sea from the comfort of a deck chair watching rugby on an iPad. Recently, we have missed Ms Grant’s incredible joy and enthusiasm both in her teaching and especially when we went to Iceland. One of my fondest memories is watching her kicking her feet in glee and roaring with laughter whilst watching Deadpool on the flight back. We all wish you a speedy recovery.

I will miss this school and the people so much but St John’s has prepared us all so well to move on to bigger things. So to Form 6, in the words of Dr Seuss: “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to great places! You’re off and away!”

Clara Lynn

Performing at Jazz in the Piazza ~ Summer 2024

In Memory

Anne-Marie Grant

~ Head of Geography (St John’s 2017 - 2024)

“Miss Grant was an inspirational Geography and Maths teacher, and a nurturing tutor. Our children speak so fondly of her passion for learning and discovering the world around us.”

Current parent

“She always bought a sense of joy to our Geography lessons. The water cycle will always stick with me due to the song Miss Grant used to sing and I think I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

Former pupil

“It was such a pleasure to work alongside you – I was the lucky recipient of so much of your humour and boundless energy.”

Member of staff

Miss Grant was an amazing, core member of the SJCS team. My heart goes out to all of her friends and family, and every member of St John’s suffering this tragic loss. I was lucky enough to be taught by her for many years, and there is not a dull lesson I can remember! Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she nurtured and encouraged my love of Geography which will last with me a long time. She always took the time to listen to my excitement over places I had recently seen, or that I was hoping to visit. In particular, a staple moment which I will never forget is when I bumped into her at a waterfall in Iceland, completely by coincidence! In more recent years, she encouraged my dream to visit Yellowstone National Park, which I am fortunate enough to be finally going to next year. It is devastating that I will not be able to share with her everything I see and experience there, which I know she had such a love and fascination for. Miss Grant was a wonderfully energetic and upbeat person, and will be hugely missed by many.

Former pupil

Anne-Marie was an exceptional teacher and a glorious human being, we are so shocked and saddened to hear her life has been cut short. She was brimming with fun and enthusiasm which were so infectious. Her lessons were so full of colour and life- it feels all the more shocking that someone with so much life could be taken from the job she clearly loved and all those who loved her. Despite having three children at St John’s, I was blown away every time I received one of her fabulous emails in which she took so much time and care to tell me exactly what each child had done well in their project. It speaks to her dedication and how much she cared for each child and how keen she was to know them and treat them as individuals and to celebrate them for who they were. We will always remember her as an incredible teacher and a wonderful person, and our hearts and sympathies go to her family and partner.

Former parent

Anne-Marie, sometimes I think that I hear your laughter echo in the staff room….when I pass your classroom, I think I can see you in there. You have left an indelible mark on this school but also on all of use who have been lucky enough to have met you. Your influence, your positive approach and your support have made me realise that life is something we must use for the good we can do while we are here. You leave so much for us to cherish and I want to thank you for the beautiful lesson in life you have given me.

Member of staff

Anne-Marie was one of those special people who make an instant and positive impression on people’s lives, and she was a bundle of energy in the staff room at St John’s from the moment she arrived in the morning. My heart goes out to her family and partner. We are all devastated that she has been taken from us far too soon. Those of us who taught with her will remember her endless positivity and support for colleagues and children. Though she didn’t sugarcoat anything, she had a gentle and humorous way of encouraging children to get the best from themselves. I will always treasure the cake topper which we still have from the cake Anne-Marie once made for a birthday. I will always remember with gratitude the hugs and cups of tea she gave me and others just when we needed them. She will always hold a special place in our hearts and, at St John’s, we will certainly never forget her.

Former member of staff

We are all so very sad to hear the news of Anne-Marie’s passing. Our son adored her as his Geography teacher for a number of years at St John’s, and I have my own special memory of her when school became ‘online’ during the pandemic. As I was working via laptop from my lounge, my son was in the kitchen attending online school. During that time, I listened to a number of his lessons, but particularly looked forward to Geography. Anne-Marie’s delivery was outstanding, her content memorable, and above all the buy-in from her students remarkable. It took me fondly back to my school days and actually, I learnt a lot from her too! Sending our deepest sympathies and best wishes to her family and to the John’s community.

Former parent

Life can be far too cruel sometimes. Miss Grant was the most inspirational and enthusiastic teacher with the biggest grin on her face at all times and an amazing Geography and Maths teacher. My daughter hated Maths until she had Miss Grant and she was also a great source of comfort to all the children she taught in lockdown, not forgetting her amazing baking skills. We will think of her whenever we watch ‘Bake Off’. We will always remember you.

Former parent

St John’s Triathlon Relay in Memory of Miss Grant

“Miss Grant was creative, caring and inspiring. She encouraged all the children she taught and was a strong advocate for them.”

Member of staff

“She always had a huge smile on her face and was cheerful and an extremely positive teacher. We will all miss her.”

Member of staff

“Travelling to Iceland with her will stick firmly in my mind as an example of when I found myself regularly aching from laughing so much.”

Member of staff

“You brought such fun, joy and a delightful sense of mischief to our lives. You could find the fun in every situation. You loved the children and they loved you. You were an inspiration as a teacher and a colleague.”

Member of staff

The community suffered a devastating blow at the start of 2024 when we learnt of the death of our much-loved Head of Geography, Anne-Marie Grant, from cancer in January. A special service for her was held in St John’s College Chapel on the 4th July.

In May 2024, six teams made up of St John’s staff embarked on the Box End Triathlon Relay in Miss Grant’s memory, raising an incredible £1,478 for the Macmillan Cancer charity. They entered this challenge with her sense of fun and adventure very much on their minds. The teams took part in either the sprint (750m swim, 26km bike, 5km run) or standard (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run) distance events. Miss Grant had been battling cancer and sadly died just before her birthday in January. Her death was devastating news for all of the St John’s community who knew her. Miss Grant was a much-loved, caring and excellent teacher who is sorely missed by all of us at school and beyond.

Artwork

Front cover: Evelyn Austen (aged 10)

Back cover: Cera Wong (aged 12)

Design Technology pages:

46 Toby Fairley & Alice Labruyère (both aged 12)

47 Frankie Benstead, Megan Munro, Dotty Gardiner & Georgia Chesterfield (all aged 13)

48 Maximilian Reinhold, Diniz Patil Soberano de Oliveira & Lyra Wylie (all aged 7)

49 Beatrice Chowdhury & Abigail Lock (both aged 9)

51 Ryah Woolfson & Bridget Baker (both aged 8), Lyra Wylie & Claire Nghiem (both aged 7)

Art pages:

84 Race Wong (aged 11)

85 Aniket Sinha (aged 10) & Theo Singh (aged 9)

86 Alanis Vermande & Clarissa Pilato (both aged 11)

87 Charlie Jerram (aged 13)

88 Ailee Kushman (aged 8) & Beatrice Chowdhury (aged 9)

89 Evie Oates (aged 13)

English page:

19 Lottie Cross (aged 10)

Inspiration pages:

90 Carmen Navarro (aged 13)

92 Amira Srouji & May Guttridge (both aged 13)

93 Toby Ali (aged 10), Ingrid Birchall & Raffaele Sarno (both aged 11)

94 James Marshall & Magnus Moore (both aged 10)

95 Mia Fairburn (aged 7)

96 Elijah Borchert & Eve Fraser (both aged 9)

97 Arthur Manning (aged 13)

98 Imogen Fairley (aged 9), Singhé Ato & Naiara Hayes Fernández (both aged 10)

99 Lukas Knowles (aged 10), Frank Millward & Marlowe Treger (both aged 6)

100 Heyan Patel & Bryony MacLeod-Jones (both aged 10) & Harry Sapsed (aged 9)

101 Josuhua Cooke (aged 10)

102 Max Pearce, Ethan Messenger & Cassidy Murray (all aged 9)

103 Dev Patel (aged 13)

104 Alice Manning & Cindy Di (both aged 11), Theo Oren (aged 13), Sam Tagger, Maxwell Mansfield & Peregrine Brice (all aged 12)

105 Amira Srouji & Jasper Fox Watson (both aged 13) & Jing Jin (aged 9)

106 Hattie Milton, Alex Brezina, Mei Mei Noble & Evie Oates (all aged 13)

108 Maria Watson (aged 10) & Alice Allpress (aged 12)

109 Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

110 Amira Srouji (aged 13)

111 Imogen O’Reilly (aged 11)

112 Theo Leslie (aged 9) & Maya Drokov (aged 10)

113 Tilly Denman, Alanis Vermande, Race Wong & Isabella MacLean (all aged 11)

114 Beatrice Chowdhury (aged 9), Marla Hudack & Antoine Khoury-Machool (both aged 8)

115 Chace Carver (aged 13) & Jacob Cheung (aged 6)

116 Laila Khaled (aged 9), Alexander Mosher (aged 8) & Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12)

117 Emily Shi-Gao (aged 9)

118 James Hankey, Elijah Borchert, Cordelia de Graaf-Rose (all aged 9), Blythe Weller & Singhé Ato (both aged 10)

119 Cecily Bennett, Charlotte Labruyère & Reika Varian (all aged 7)

120 Reika Varian (aged 7) & Amira Srouji (aged 13)

121 Hannah Knowles (aged 6) & Arya Wajid (aged 10)

122 May Guttridge (aged 13)

123 Daniel Pretorius (aged 13)

124 Matilda Newitt & Cera Wong (both aged 12) & Race Wong (aged 11)

125 George Morbey (aged 12)

126 Ariane Thomson & James Marshall (both aged 7) & Henry Ali (aged 9)

127 Ella Pearson (aged 5)

www.sjcs.co.uk