HIGHLIGHTS 2024
Front cover: Form 2 STEM & back cover: T2W artwork by Charlotte Labruyère (aged 7)
Highlights is written, designed, produced and edited by St John’s College School staff
Head’s Introduction
At St John’s we continue to be passionate about our holistic approach to education. Focusing on a supportive, nurturing and creative environment from which each of our children can grow and find their own passions and strengths is at the heart of all we do. Our Emotions For Learning (E4L) programme continues to lie at the core of our ethos and we live in a time when this toolkit has never been more important to help children navigate an increasingly complex and difficult world whilst allowing them to experience the magic of childhood.
Our Highlights publication showcases the breadth of activity within and beyond the curriculum including marvellous creativity in core subjects and within the creative arts as well as success and enjoyment on the sports field. The sense of community is very much alive and the Parents’ Association have been at the forefront of bringing us together on several occasions during the year as well as raising significant amounts of money for charity. The children have followed suit and kept our charitable work as an important aspect of our work and who we are at St John’s. Our Form 6 raised £607 for the Cambridge Children’s Hospital in just over an hour at their Charities Fair and our House charities event raised £1,298 for three different charities. Six St John’s staff took part in a triathlon at Box End water park and raised £1,478 for Macmillan Cancer. Our youngest cohort, our Kindergarten children, showed real empathy as well as enthusiasm when they took part in the integrated ‘Sing! Together’ choir with the All in Sound programme with our local community.
We continue to receive heart-warming news about our former pupils who have gone onto their next schools and many have ended up in positions of leadership. Our current Form 6 have done us proud again and move on to excellent and competitive senior schools where I have no doubt they will follow the successes of their forebears.
As I enter my final year as Head of this wonderful School, I continue to be enormously optimistic about its future. It is important that we stay true to who we are, equip our children with the skills they will need to make a difference in the world and look forward with hope.
Neil Chippington
Emotions for Learning (E4L)
Emotions for Learning (E4L) is a curriculum and an approach to learning and relating at School that has been developed uniquely at St John’s. We have created an entire social and emotional curriculum for our youngest children based on research and evidence about how children’s minds and brains develop. It is designed to encourage children to express their opinions and feelings and give them the knowledge, skills and understanding they will need to be able to think creatively and problem solve effectively in all areas of their lives. One of the core principles in E4L is that a strong positive connection between a child and their teacher allows them to feel secure, take risks, explore the world around them, and develop confidence in their own abilities.
In addition to outreach activities with local state schools, such as Barrington C of E Primary School, we have again hosted our E4L Morning for parents, offering the chance to participate and watch E4L lessons in their child’s class.
‘Action Story’ is peer to peer massage which teaches children about their body-self and how to become sensitive to the body-self of others. Our teachers have observed children showing more empathy and concern for each other, plus a deeper and growing understanding of the importance of consent. After an Action Story, the classroom calms and concentration and motivation improves and, as a result, the children can learn more effectively. We offer Action Story dropin sessions for parents and their children each term to learn the practice together.
“I use my whole body to listen with my heart.”
This page top: stilling session & bottom: Action Story peer-to-peer massage Opposite page: ‘Seeing things differently’
“We noticed all the wonderful things around us and to ‘see things differently’. We made plans to share some happiness and love during and after Children’s Mental Health Week.”
To find out more about E4L, scan the QR code below:
Sensory Skills
We engaged a lead practitioner experienced in sensory development to oversee training and support for teachers and children more than two years ago when it became clear from research that sensory integration was fundamental to supporting emotional regulation and learning. Sensory development encompasses eight senses: the five we all know about as well as vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (awareness of our body in space) and interoception (awareness of internal sensations such as pain, temperature and hunger). All children benefit from developing their sensory skills - a child who is physically and emotionally regulated is ‘Ready to Learn’ and be their best self. Sensory support at St John’s is multi-faceted. Activities include morning sensory circuits and individual, small group and whole class movement breaks that develop motor planning, coordination, postural strength and spatial awareness at the same time as helping children feel grounded.
“I feel a bit calmer in my days and I feel so relaxed. I love the Whizzy Dizzy!”
“It helps me
refocus after having a busy morning before school.”
There are assessments and individual programmes for children needing targeted support and sensory strategies to support emotional regulation and to complement the social and emotional curriculum taught in E4L. As adults, many of us have instinctively found our own sensory-based strategies such as doodling, taking a walking break or finding a quiet space to regroup in order to support our well-being and focus. By discussing openly with children the sensory supports that work for them, we are enabling them to develop their self-awareness and the right strategies to help them manage learning and socialemotional challenges positively from a young age.
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 demonstrated 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.
Crucial to the development of highly engaged play-based learning is the environment the children learn in. Teachers plan this carefully, providing resources that are suited to the children’s level of development. For example, in T2 drawers can be found with batteries, bulbs and wires so that children can create circuits.
This year, our Kindergarten environments have been redesigned further to develop independence, imagination and challenge the level of the learning. Using the ideas of Greg Bottril, KG classrooms now feature a variety of themed areas such as the ‘St John’s House’ role play and ‘Carpet Kingdom’. Kindergarten Discovery Time is split over the two classrooms, the garden and the lobby (joining room). Our Discovery Time provision is split over all of these areas, is planned for according to the current interests and needs of the children.
The ‘St John’s House’ is where an imaginary family, the Johns, live. Throughout the year the family celebrate different cultural festivals, birthdays, have a new baby arrive, have a pet, need to visit the doctors etc and we adapt the role play area/St John’s House accordingly. It runs alongside our Understanding the World programme of teaching – looking at how different families celebrate different festivals, what babies need, how to look after pets, for example. ‘Carpet Kingdom’ is where the children gather for whole class activities such as Morning Meeting, story time and adult-led inputs.
There are different ways of supporting children within a play-based environment to sustain a high level of challenge. T2 have been experimenting with a version of Greg Bottril’s ‘play-plan’ approach. Having selected an area of interest, children decide on a key skill and then draw a plan to meet this. When their work is finished, they review and evaluate their progress towards meeting the skill and share their next steps.
“We went on a leaf hunt, exploring and noticing how many different shapes, patterns and shades of green we could find. We were excited by our discoveries!”
“We travelled across ‘Earth’ on Google Earth and through our class atlases; as well as reading ‘Let’s meet the Oceans’ to help us identify and label our own maps.”
Intrinsic Motivation
At St John’s, we prioritise the holistic development of our children, recognising the crucial link between emotional well-being, self-awareness, and academic success. Understanding the impact of traditional forms of motivation and reward on each child’s achievement is key to fostering a supportive learning environment. Through extensive research conducted over the past few years, both internally and externally, we have gained valuable insights into effective motivational strategies. Our findings, informed by feedback from the children, parents, and staff, highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation - the drive to succeed based on personal fulfilment rather than external rewards. By promoting autonomy-supportive teaching practices, we aim to cultivate a sense of ownership and passion for learning among our children. This approach has been proven to enhance engagement, independence, creativity, self-esteem, and overall academic performance. Ultimately, we strive to empower our children to become lifelong learners who are motivated by their own intrinsic desires for growth and achievement.
Creativity
Questions about the role and purpose of education have abounded with the advent of ChatGPT and further advances in Artificial Intelligence. What is clear is that developing ‘Creativity’ as a skill is ever more important. Creativity, at St John’s, is the skills of imagination, curiosity, perseverance, rigour and collaboration. We aim to nurture individuals who are able to look at things from different angles, to take the initiative, to problem-solve, to work with a range of different learners and learning styles with appreciation of the varied skills each brings and to express themselves freely.
One way in which we nurture creativity at Byron House is through ‘Wow days’, which are cross-curricular days in which children immerse themselves in an imaginative and problem-solving approach to exploring their topic. ‘Wow’ days may use either ‘Mantle of the Expert’ or ‘Enterprise’ projects to put children in a leadership position, either through taking on the mantle of an expert in a problem-solving and imaginative venture, or to plan and lead a venture that raises money for a cause. This year, ‘Wow’ days have included engaging with the question, ‘What makes a country?’. Five ‘new’ islands were marked on the world map and each group chose which island they would have. They then had complete freedom to create whatever they needed in order to form a country. They even created national anthems on the Chromebooks! Another involved the children becoming inspired to make a habitat for the hybrid animals they had created. The children made sure to include the necessary food, space, water and shelter that their creature needed to survive.
“I loved our Wow Day! A letter came from the government explaining that five new islands had been discovered in different locations around the world. Our task was to get all the new islands recognised as countries. We thought about a name, flag, national anthem, currency, climate and terrain.”
2H’s Island Wow Day
Child-initiated Learning
Our research into ways of nurturing children’s intrinsic motivation has found that two of the keys to achieving self-motivated learning are autonomy and purpose. These are both natural features of the childinitiated learning style which is a core part of the curriculum at St John’s. The children have ownership of their learning and how they are learning it. In Forms 1 and 2, topics are chosen and directed by the children so they can immediately see the purpose, leading to higher levels of motivation, engagement and involvement. A topic chosen will evolve depending on where the children’s interests take them. Examples of this year’s topics are: RMS Titanic, Fashion and Design, Animals, the Olympics, Movies the Theatre and Countries Around the World.
In Form 3, work on Child Initiated Learning topics moves on to develop as small groups working together on topics of their choice and learning new research techniques.
Child-led learning is in Form 6 where, following some further lessons into study skills and research techniques, children spend time during their Leavers’ Programme working on projects of their choosing. Teachers are available to them in classrooms to help at given times and they choose the teacher best suited to help at different stages of their work. You will find more information about our Extended Research Projects provision for Form 6 on page 31.
“At the V&A we explored different exhibitions and saw a big fish statue. We also saw The Raphael Cartoons, which are huge paintings depicting religious scenes and, if you run alongside them, they seem to move.”
“For our child-led topic we have been researching what interests us about the Titanic. I discovered that there were only enough lifeboats for a third of the people on the boat.”
This page top: Form 3 small group research projects; Bottom left: 2D’s trip to the V&A Museum, London & bottom right: 2O’s trip to Sealife Hunstanton
Opposite page: 2O’s animals nature walk in Cambridge
Learning Dispositions
At St John’s, we value the importance of instilling a metacognitive understanding of learning in our children. By breaking down the learning process into distinct dispositions and analysing how they impact learning, children are able to become more adaptable learners. Teaching how to learn not only equips the children with a solid foundation but also empowers them to take on challenges, persist through difficulties, and think creatively and critically. This approach encourages the children to move beyond simply seeking the correct answer and instead focus on developing the skills and mindsets that will help them thrive in unfamiliar situations where there may not be a clear-cut solution.
Mindsets for Learning (M4L)
Our School places a strong emphasis on cultivating the 12 essential dispositions for effective learning, known as ‘Mindsets for Learning’ (M4L). These dispositions, such as focus, collaboration, curiosity, and perseverance, are integrated into every aspect of our curriculum, using age-appropriate language to ensure even our youngest children can understand and apply them.
By fostering a growth mindset, we instil in our children the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and learning. Through identifying their strengths and areas for growth, the children work collaboratively with their teachers to enhance their skills and become more successful learners. The goal is to empower them to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and ultimately achieve their full potential.
“I was a risk-taking raccoon when we went on our Form 2 Grafham Water trip because I have never been on a raft before! I followed the instructions and was proud to help with the steering.”
Executive Functions
At Senior House, the ‘Executive Functions’ programme takes a deeper look into learning dispositions within the context of brain development. These skills are crucial for planning, staying focused, and following through on tasks, even when faced with distractions.
Executive functions are a set of mental processes that allow us to think creatively, adapt to challenges, and make thoughtful decisions. They rely on a network of brain circuits, with the prefrontal cortex playing a key role. These functions help us manage our time, control our emotions, and reflect on our own thinking. While we aren’t born with all these skills, they develop over time and typically fully mature by our mid-twenties.
“Understanding more about Executive Functions has helped me realise that my brain needs these skills to filter distractions, prioritise tasks and to set and achieve goals. They help me stay on task.”
“Executive Functions has enabled me to me a more flexible learner and to listen more to and to value other people’s ideas and opinions.”
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is deeply ingrained in our School culture, serving as a powerful tool to slow down racing thoughts, foster present-moment awareness, and alleviate stress. We use the Mindfulness in Schools Programme (MiSP) to teach this practice, tailoring it to different age groups. For our youngest pupils, we introduce ‘dots’ lessons, brief 15-minute sessions that incorporate yoga elements. Form 2 engage in ‘Paws b’, while Form 4 explore ‘.breathe’, paving the way for Form 6’s ‘.b’ sessions. Each course is carefully designed to nurture curiosity and a deeper understanding of our experiences. We are thrilled to have also offered another successful .b Foundations Mindfulness course for parents this year.
Mindfulness involves non-judgementally paying attention to present thoughts and emotions. Regular practice empowers children to respond skilfully to their inner world, enhancing focus and attention. Pupils who embrace mindfulness witness improvements in concentration and the ability to direct their attention at will. We integrate mindfulness activities throughout lessons and events, be it preparing for a Drama production, finding flow in musical performances, or focusing in sports matches. We incorporate a variety of mindfulness exercises to guide children towards the present moment through various breathing techniques, conducting a thorough body scan, observing objects or listening to music mindfully, and even exploring their own thoughts. By practicing mindfulness, children develop the ability to focus their attention on the present reality, rather than getting caught up in past events or future concerns.
‘The Philosophy Man’ Workshops
Taking a philosophical approach and debating the big questions within our broad, thematic curriculum is just one way in which St John’s strives to ‘Make The Difference’. We were delighted to welcome ‘The Philosophy Man’ team for a day of philosophy and thinking skills across year groups at both Byron House and Senior House. The Philosophy Man is the UK’s leading independent provider of P4C (Philosophy for Children) training and workshops. The team facilitated engaging and stimulating philosophical discussions on topics such as friendship, fairness, identity and happiness.
The children were encouraged to ask big questions, share their opinions, listen to different perspectives and reason critically. P4C is a powerful approach to teaching and learning that develops children’s critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration skills. It also fosters a culture of curiosity, respect and dialogue in the classroom. These workshops complemented our Philosophy provision for children in Form 2 to Form 6.
“We had to think about what kit we would take on a deserted island and explain our choices. It really made me think more carefully and not just accept the first thought that came into my head.”
Outreach Projects
St John’s College School, Nanjing
Two St John’s staff have spent this year working in St John’s College School in Nanjing and have found it an enriching experience, both culturally and from a teaching perspective.
“Being offered the opportunity to work at St John’s College School Nanjing and share with them all the brilliant things that SJCS does so well back home was a memorable experience. It has strengthened my cultural awareness and added another dimension to how I approach teaching children with EAL. Building new relationships and seeing the children’s confidence in using the English language grow has been one of the most rewarding experiences and has re-ignited a love for teaching overseas.” (Katy Fox)
“Moving to China has been the most valuable experience towards my personal and professional growth so far. Teaching a class of 20 lively four-year-olds has been incredibly rewarding, getting to know each and watching as they grow as learners and English speakers.” (William Kunz)
St John’s College School Cambridge teachers working in SJCS Nanjing
All in Sound’s ‘Sing! Together’ Integrated Choir
Following the success of our previous integrated dancing initiative before Covid, we were eager to continue providing a sense of continuity and joy for those in our local community by being part of an integrated choir.
Our Kindergarten class took part in five weekly sessions, in Cockroft Hall. The integrated choir experience allowed our youngest cohort to engage in topic-based songs, complemented by the use of musical instruments props such as colourful scarves.
‘All In Sound’ shares our commitment to fostering stronger communities and enhancing the well-being and self-esteem of individuals through the power of music. We are honoured to be a part of this mission, bringing the joy of music-making opportunities to our local communities.
E4L (Emotions for Learning)
The E4L work at Barrington C of E Primary School continues with staff being trained at regular intervals in the E4L approach. The report on the E4L pilot at the school was a success with the impact report showing some significant differences measured in the children after only a year. Barrington also recently ran a successful parent E4L morning which was very well received. We have also started working with Melbourn Primary School since September 2023.
‘Sing! Together’ integrated choir with Kindergarten visitors from the local community
Music
Our outreach piano recitals continue to flourish, providing valuable performance opportunities on an excellent piano in a lovely concert venue for children aged 6-16. It is our strong belief here that regular performance is hugely valuable to children’s wider personal and musical development and that the opportunity for children of all ages and levels of experience and ability to share the same platform is an important ingredient in that offering. Approximately 50 individual performances have taken place across three concerts during this academic year.
Computing
Drama
Our outreach programme to provide specialist support in the teaching of Drama lessons has continued this year. We have worked with Barrington C of E Primary School supporting their Drama lessons. Year 6 Barrington pupils are due to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream at St John’s. This will be our twelfth outreach Drama production.
For the past two years, our Head of Computing and the Director at Teach the Teacher have led an outreach project to introduce technology in schools in The Gambia. As a result, they have been officially appointed as consultants for the Education Ministry in The Gambia. Alpha Bah, Director Standards Quality Assurance for The Gambian Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, and John Beer, a Director at Teach the Teacher, visited St John’s to observe and take part in a Form 5 computer-based English lesson.
Our Head of Computing has also met with the Honourable Haddy Jatou Sey, Minister of Education for The Gambia to discuss the action research project he has set up in a typical Gambian school as part of the SJCS outreach programme. The purpose was to demonstrate to The Gambian government the potential for computer-based learning to dramatically transform the quality of teaching and learning in Gambian schools. The findings of this research will be used to inform the ministry’s strategic planning for the next five years.
During our Trips Week in June, our Head of Computing gave several STEM workshops in: Barrington C of E Primary School, Mayfield Primary School and Barton CE Primary School. These sessions included and micro:bit introduction and coding traffic lights with input as an extension and buggies and remote control.
Left: The Director Standards Quality Assurance for The Gambian Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Director at Teach the Teacher observed computer-based teaching and learning in a Form 5 English lesson & right: Our Head of Computing meeting the Honourable Haddy Jatou Sey (Minister of Education for The Gambia)
Form 6 Outreach Projects
“I loved being taught new games by Form 6. They were kind, patient and very positive too and they helped improve my batting and bowling.”
Form 6 Sports Outreach. (Outreach options also include Art & Compassion)
Poetry Competition
12 poems were entered into the Young Writers ‘Once Upon a Dream’ Competition which encourages creativity and imaginative thinking and the chance for older pupils to write for a different purpose. ‘The best thing about dreams is that they are extraordinary: you can be anyone, do anything, and make the impossible possible. Dreams as weird and wonderful - let your imagination run free!’
Seaside at Dusk
A slow deep dark-blue ocean sways forwards and back
I’m sinking my toes into the animated sand.
The charcoal sky is dotted with puffs of chalky stars
As the dark sky wraps its arms around the gentle beach.
In a few hours there will be a vibrant buzz of laughter and screams of joy
But for now silence fills the air.
The air is salty and smells of seaweed
As sea grass behind me rustles and shakes but the the silence returns and covers the night.
Zackary Crosbie (aged 13)
Creative Writing Competitions
All Senior House children took part in our 500 word Short Story competition with one winner for Forms 3 and 4 and one winner for Forms 5 & 6.
A Second Chance
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.
Extract by Singhé Ato (aged 10)
Forms 3 & 4 winner of the 500 word Short Story competition
Odd One Out
His words lingered in the air, leaving me feeling strangely unsettled. Was it possible that, in my quest for order, I was the one disrupting the harmony of our household? Could it be that my family’s seeming confusion was a reflection not of their limitations, but of my own?
Extract by Dev Patel (aged 13)
Forms 5 & 6 winner of the 500 word Short Story competition
Six Form 6 pupils had their articles published in The King’s School Canterbury’s publication Mind’s Eye Prep. Titles included: Trans Sport, Beauty Rules, Saved by the Dog, Undercover, Wait Up and The Apple Cart.
Artwork by Maya Drokov (aged 10)
Book Week
Book Week was, again, a highlight of the year. The children enjoyed visits from authors, poets and illustrators, including: Andy Seed, Annelise Gray, Thomas Taylor and Anna Conomos, Karl Nova and Jo Cotterill.
The ever-popular Byron House ‘Book at Bedtime’ and whole school ‘Dress as a Book Character Day’ were firm favourite events, as was the Book Fair where the children perused a wealth of fiction and non-fiction books from the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre.
The children at Senior House also enjoyed swapping used books from home with their buddies and their peers.
“I really want to do Book at Bedtime all over again!”
“I loved Andy Seed coming to see us. Lots of us have been making our own ‘tranimalators’ in discovery time.”
“Annelise Gray made me really want to jump inside one of her books!”
Top left: Hip hop poet Karl Nova; top right: author Andy Seed; middle left: Book at Bedtime; middle: author Anna Conomos; middle right: Byron House Book Fair; bottom left: Dress as a Book Character Day & bottom right: author Jo Cotterill
Anthea Bell Translation Competition
We are delighted that one of our Form 6 linguists was awarded a Commendation Certificate for his piece in the Anthea Bell translation competition.
The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators is an annual competition run by Queen’s College, Oxford .The competition is inspired by the life and work of the great translator Anthea Bell. It aims to promote language learning across the UK and to inspire creativity in the classroom. Our Form 6 take part in the French Level 2 section.
This year the children had to translate a passage from the novel ‘Ma Famille du Cameroun: de Paris à Yaoundé’ by Jessica Reuss-Nliba and Didier Reuss, which tells the story of a young girl named Tania on her first trip to Cameroon to visit her family. Our French teachers were very impressed with the quality of the translations and selected 5 to submit to the external competition.
“I really enjoyed doing the French translation prize because it gave me a chance to translate a bigger text from French into English. I felt really pleased and proud of myself for getting a commendation and was happy to see my name on the website!”
Townsend Warner History Prize
This national competition was started 139 years ago and is one of the oldest institutions in the Prep school world. It has proved enduringly popular in encouraging the study of history and is not linked to any national testing or examinations, but aims to encourage interest in historical reading, facts and analysis.
1,000 pupils and over 70 schools took part in Paper 1 which has 100 questions demanding one-word, or one-sentence, answers from world history, but with a strong emphasis on British history.
Two pupils got through to the last 250 pupils for Paper 2, which is in the form of essay questions, allowing pupils a very wide choice so that they can write on what they know, as well as showing their analytical skill and historical imagination.
National Science Quiz
Three Science Quiz teams competed in the Semi-Finals of the Quiz Club National Inter-School Science Championships. As ever, the questions were beyond the knowledge of the National Curriculum but the children took the challenge in their stride with 2 teams qualifying for the Finals in June.
With more than 400,000 pupils taking part, the Quiz is the largest inter-school competition in the country. It is an exciting and challenging way to broaden our children’s scientific knowledge and is also offers a platform for our most able young scientists to showcase their abilities as part of a team representing St John’s.
Both teams performed incredibly well in the Finals, with Team 1 coming 5th and Team 2 coming 9th.
“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. The Quiz Master gives you some more information about the subject when he gives the answers.”
Teams 1 and 2 taking part in the Finals of the National Science Quiz Championships at Oxford Examination Schools in June
Earth Sciences Iceland Trip
During the Easter break, a group of Forms 5 and 6 had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of geology and life science with the School’s second trip to Iceland, the land of fire and ice. The trip included a tour of the Golden Circle, glacier hiking, lava tube caving, and visits to geothermal hotspots amongst other highlights.
“My highlights from our Iceland trip were the glacier walk at Solheimajokull, visiting the beautiful Skogafoss waterfall and seeing the Hverageroi hot spring. The lava show was also incredible as we were so close and the heat was unbelievable!”
Top right photo taken by Alex Kuppen (aged 13)
Activity Week Trips in Forms 2 to 6
Form 2 spent a day at Grafham Water; Form 3 enjoyed a Staycation before heading to Caythorpe Court for two days; Form 4 spent four days at Ravenstor while Form 5 enjoyed being out on the water at Rockley in Dorset. Form 6 spent nearly a week in the Ardèche in France with a two day river descent as part of their experience and one of our Form 6 Choristers’ highlights was visiting Disneyland Paris.
Top left: Form 4 Ravenstor, Peak District; middle: Form 6 Ardèche, France; right: Form 5 Rockley, Dorset
Bottom left: Form 2 Graham Water, Huntingdon; middle: Form 3 Caythorpe, Lincolnshire & right: Form 6 Choristers Disneyland Paris
‘Thinking
Mathematically’ at Cambridge University Festivals
Exploring, questioning, explaining, visualising, conjecturing, generalising and justifying are all at the heart of mathematical thinking. A group of Form 5 pupils took part in some stimulating extension activities in the Cambridge University Festivals programme, which were designed to develop their capacity to work as mathematicians. The workshop presented a variety of concepts that engaged the pupils at a variety of different levels. Pupils were challenged to think more deeply about mathematical concepts and the discussion about rules of divisibility by divisors such as seven continued all the way back to School.
National Maths Challenges
The Primary Maths Challenge is a national competition for Forms 3 and 4. Pupils enjoy preparing in teams or small groups and use diagrams, number lines, pictures and charts to help solve a wide variety of interesting questions, encouraging them to use higher order thinking skills and to think creatively in order to find solutions. 23 children were awarded gold certificates 21 silver and 28 bronze. Six pupils performed exceptionally well in the first round and were invited to attend the bonus round.
The Junior Mathematical Challenge is a 60-minute, multiple-choice challenge for Forms 4, 5 and 6. It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. 15 pupils received gold certificates, 15 silver and 31 bronze. 11 pupils also qualified for the Junior Kangaroo round.
24 Form 3 and 4 pupils, comprising of four in each team, took part in the National Inter-School Maths Quiz Championship and one Form 4 team qualified for the Semi-Finals.
The First Mathematics Challenge (FMC) has been specifically created to give all pupils, UK and worldwide aged between 7-9, the opportunity to take part in a fun Mathematical Challenge. 47 Form 2 pupils and 15 Form 1 pupils took part in this challenge and between them they got 3 gold, 28 silver and 23 bronze certificates.
‘Thinking Mathematically’ Cambridge University
National Inter-School Maths Quiz Championship
Inter-Schools Coding Competition
Four pupils took part in an inter-schools programming competition at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge. The event involved the pupils working on challenges, testing their problem-solving skills, meeting researchers and discovering more about what Computer Science can do.
13 schools were represented by 52 pupils. Categories in the competition included: ingenuity, teamwork and race track. The teams competed to write computer code solutions to a number of problems and were judged on their ingenuity, speed and team-working.
The competition involved using a micro:bit to control a buggy with two challenges at progressive difficulty levels. The buggy kit was pre-assembled and came with built-in sensors for line and obstacle sensing and a header to slot in the micro:bit. Our team worked collaboratively to use the block coding interface of the micro:bit to code the buggy to investigate these features, ending the challenges by navigating their buggies through a maze. Congratulations to the SJCS team as they were awarded the Ingenuity Prize.
‘Johnny’ the SJCS AI Assistant
Chatbot research assistants are already having a huge impact on schools. The advice from the Ministry of Education is that schools should embrace creative AI assistants for their benefits by teaching children how to make effective and appropriate use of them.
We believe that for our children to learn generative AI skills they need to be able to practice them in a safe, child-friendly, monitored environment. To this end the Computing department has partnered with one of our parents to set this up on our own SJCS GPT server. We are well into Beta testing and the data we have obtained from the children’s use to date is extremely encouraging.
Our SJCS AI assistant ‘Johnny’ has been designed to enable the teaching of AI literacy in a safe and age-appropriate way.
Design Technology
In Design Technology, an increasingly important subject in our current times, the children learn a huge array of practical tasks with a greater emphasis on growing their haptic skills. The children develop their capabilities in critical thinking, as well as the skills of construction using a wide range of materials. Our aim is for our children to be designers, investigating problems, creating solutions and engineering the three-dimensional world. Failing is a welcomed element in this subject and children build up a resilience to it and an understanding that failing equates to a ‘learning nugget’. Children’s individuality, choices and decisions are reflected in their project outcomes.
The wide range of projects have included: Teddy Bear Furniture. - prototype making with cardboard, Dizzy Dowels (fun pulley systems), mechanical and computer controlled model Fairground Rides(movement principles), Ball Mazes (computer aided design and materials), Quiz games, Clock Faces (2D design with manufacture) Pencil Holders (plastics and use of advanced machinery), Electric Vehicles (engineering), Exploring fabric structures and Soft toy prototypes (Textiles Technology), Memphis Design inspired wooden boxes demonstrating basic carpentry joining skills, Our annual AirBoat race event and a myriad of projects in DT clubs across both sites and open-ended personal choice projects (using a theme to create and make solutions to problems) and use of our 3D printer and laser cutter.
This page top left: Felix van den Bos (aged 10); top right: Evie Oates (aged 13) & bottom right: Andrew Stephenson (aged 6). Opposite page top left: Cassidy Murray (aged 9); top middle: Davi Saibrosa (aged 12) top right: Hattie Chaney & Race Wong (both aged 11); middle right: Kurt Roeloffs (aged 14); bottom left: Mia Fairburn (aged 7) & bottom right: George Morbey (aged 12)
STEM
Our Form 2 benefit from a whole afternoon of STEM every week. The children use the extensive facilities on offer in our two Senior House Science labs.
With the guidance of our STEM teachers, the children experience a variety of projects that challenge their creativity and problem-solving skills. From constructing and testing bridges to programming a lighthouse, they get hands-on experience in a wide range of topics including: the human skeleton, electricity circuits, micro:bit light sensors, bridge design, woodlice habitats to forces and exploding rockets!
Our goal is not just to impart knowledge but to empower our children as active learners who can take charge of their own education. This integrated approach to learning not only expands their understanding but also fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility.
“I know that it is Newton’s Third Law that allows rockets to launch into space. The rocket exerts a force on the gases downwards and so the gases exert a force on the rocket upwards.”
“We learnt to code the micro:bit to display three different words depending on which button we pressed on the micro:bit.”
Extended Research Projects
As a celebration of the children’s creative approach to learning, our Form 6 undertake their own Extended Research Project during their Leavers’ Programme in the second half of the summer term. This project follows on from the research skills they are taught as part of the My Mind curriculum in Thursday Enrichment lessons at Senior House. In research skills lessons, the children learn to discriminate between sources, the effective use of online search engines, plagiarism, referencing and how to plan a project. For their Extended Research Projects, Form 6 generated their own research questions and decided how they wanted to present their findings and ideas. Final artefacts included paintings, podcasts, musical compositions, comic strips and stop motion animations. The aim is that each project should demonstrate the skills of Creativity, Thinking, Reviewing, Communicating and Independence. At the end of the Leavers’ Programme, the children self-assessed their work against these criteria and displayed their completed work on Open Day.
“What would music be like without famous and fabulous composers such as Bach or Vivaldi?”
“How have modern golf clubs changed the approach to designing a golf course?”
“How have toys been modified to improve diversity?”
“What would the world be like without spiders?”
Art
The Art department has continued to flourish across the School with the children producing a wide range of work in multiple media culminating in our annual Art Exhibition. Projects have included: 3D space boxes, Vincent van Gogh inspired landscapes, Jan Pieńkowski style Christmas cards, an Art of Conflict project, paintings based on British painter Hurvin Anderson, 3D African masks inspired by the artist Darrell Wakelam, peacock feather watercolours and paintings, observational drawings and prints of shells, art based on child-led chosen topics, Henri Rousseau inspired paintings and poly block relief prints (linked with historic woodblock print making, German Expressionism and Japanese block printing).
14 pupils had their artwork entered for the Young Artists’ Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. It is an open submission exhibition for pupils aged 4–19 studying in the UK. Artworks are judged by a panel of artists and arts professionals, with selected artworks displayed online and on-site at the Royal Academy of Arts.
T2W’s wild flowers inspired partly by Norman Messenger’s book ‘The Land of Neverbelieve’
Top left: Carmen Navarro (age 13): top right; Jasper Fox Watson (aged 13); middle right: Chace Carver (age 13); bottom left: Safiyya Ahmad (aged 12) & bottom right: Thomas Kokelaar (aged 12) 33
Music
Impressive levels of enjoyment, vibrancy, inclusivity and excellence continue to characterise the musical life of the School. Children throughout the School are given outstanding opportunity and Music is seen and supported as a fundamental part of each child’s wider personal development. Demand for instrumental and vocal activity remains high, with over 350 individual lessons taking place each week; nearly 70% of children in T2-Form 6 learn at least one instrument in School, in addition to those who learn outside School. Our instrumental/vocal exam offering continues to be broad, with the choice of face-to-face and digital exams available. The results received have been outstanding, with nearly 80% of results in the first two terms being in the merit and distinction categories. One pupil has achieved a distinction at Grade 8. Eleven pupils have taken an exam at Grade 5 level or higher so far this year and a similar number will be taking higher grade exams later this term, including four at Grade 8. Music Awards were offered to Form 6 pupils by the following schools: Bryanston, Charterhouse, Eton, Haileybury, Harrow, King’s Canterbury, King’s Ely, Oundle and Stephen Perse Foundation.
Performance Opportunities
Approximately 50 concerts have been staged during the academic year, offering valuable opportunities for children of all levels of experience and ability to gain the pleasures and benefits of musical performance. Our lunchtime concerts continue to offer an excellent opportunity for children at all stages of their musical journey to perform to their peers and families in a relaxed and informal setting. For example: a child playing an 8-bar melody can share the same platform as another performing a complex movement from a concerto. Gabriel Gritten (Form 6) gave a solo piano recital, playing works by J S Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov et al. Our West Road Concert at the end of the summer term, a musical feast and a fitting celebration of a year’s Music, once again demonstrated our commitment to inclusivity and to extending our most able through various small- and large-scale performances. Following the great success of the inaugural Parent & Staff Choir performance with the Symphony Orchestra at West Road in 2023, a similar opportunity was offered this year through performance of two movements of Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.
This page: Jazz Evening with Bedford School. Opposite page top: Form 2 drumming project & bottom: Form 5 ‘Protest Songs’ composition concerts
Curriculum Music
Within the sphere of curriculum Music, two concerts were presented by Form 5 pupils in the summer term. Every pupil in the year group took part in the performance of ‘Protest Songs’ which they had composed in groups. This is a hugely important project for these young people, for whom the opportunity to learn to express their thoughts through the vehicle of Music is significant. The compositions of twenty pupils from Forms 3 and 4 were performed by our advanced string pupils in another lunchtime concert in the summer term; this was the first such concert of its type, and it was wonderful to see the younger children’s creative work brought to life in front of them and an enthusiastic audience by some of our leading string players. Collaboration between the Music and Drama departments throughout the School remains strong and we have enjoyed musical and vocal contributions to many of the productions in the last 12 months.
“We composed ‘protest songs’ about a topic we felt strongly about: the devastation caused by war, deforestation, pollution, the state of the UK economy, social isolation and the sinister motives behind some global corporations.”
Choirs
The School offers many and varied opportunities for children to participate in choral singing. Our Choirs demonstrated strength in number and in the quality of their singing at our Services in Preparation for Christmas in the College Chapel in December; over 150 children participated in the choral contributions. The Senior House Chamber Choir took part again in the Rotary Club of Cambridge’s Charity Christmas Concert at the West Road Concert Hall, an event which brought together choirs from many state and independent schools around Cambridge and which raised a significant amount of money to support the work of local charities.
External Links
We have further developed our collaborations with Senior School musicians in recent months, recognising the mutual benefits and the enjoyment these events bring; senior schools are thrilled to have a brief shop window at SJCS, as they value our young musicians very highly indeed, and it is hugely inspiring for our pupils to hear and perform with older pupils and imagine the levels they might be able to reach in a few years’ time. King’s Ely’s acclaimed close harmony group, ‘The King’s Barbers’, came to perform at St John’s; four former SJCS pupils are in the current group. Our Senior House Chamber Choir performed a piece within the same concert. Bedford School participated in our Jazz Evening in March. Under the inspirational direction of Mr Lepage Dean, our Big Band, Rednotes Jazz Ensemble and vocal soloists performed in one half and Bedford’s Jazz Orchestra provided the other half. Our six young organists gave a first-rate organ recital at St Andrew’s Chesterton, where an enthusiastic local audience was greatly impressed by and appreciative of our pupils’ playing. Outside School, six SJCS pupils sing in the Jesus College Choir and two pupils sing in the St Catharine’s College Girls’ Choir. James Marshall (Form 3) was awarded 3rd Place in the British Flute Society’s Annual National Competition.
‘St John’s Got Talent’
The annual ‘St John’s Got Talent’ show has been one of the highlights of our year since 2018, and 2023 did not disappoint! After 45 acts competed in the heats, the final took place on the penultimate day of the Michaelmas term, and Christmas Jumper Day, with 24 acts taking part and 85 children in total. There was a diverse range of acts taking part from karate, singing, instrumentals, comedy, dancing to magic and much more. In memory of our late Director of Sport, Mr McComb, the Talent Show Committee introduced a new prize in his honour - the Golden Shamrock.
Parents’ Association
The Parents’ Association has had a wonderful year with a plethora of fun events and exciting activities to bring the St John’s community together. With special occasions ranging from Fireworks Evening, the Macmillan Coffee Morning, wreath making, Christmas cards and second-hand clothing sales, to the Ancient Egyptian Party, Fun Day on the Playing Fields, Summer Drinks, Evensong and the Children’s Tea Party. The team of dedicated, enthusiastic and highly conscientious parent and staff volunteers on the Committee have worked tirelessly to plan these memorable events, which have a huge impact on our close and supportive community, and allow us to fundraise for charities. This year, over £11,000 in total, has been raised for the chosen charities: Blue Smile, Karen Morris Trust and Colours of Dance Radiates.
Top left: Fun Day; top right: Fireworks night; bottom left: Macmillan Coffee Morning & bottom right: ‘St John’s and the Secret of the Sphinx’ Lent Event
Charities
The School is committed to raising funds for various charities and the spirit of giving has continued to support projects such as the Christmas ‘Shoebox Appeal’, also ‘Odd Socks’ Day to raise awareness for the Antibullying Alliance. Children, staff and the School community raised money for the following good causes:
Form 6 Charities Morning raised £607 for the Cambridge Children’s Hospital
£346 was raised at the Victorian Fayre for Jimmy’s Cambridge and the Cambridge Children’s Hospital
£304 was raised at the Senior House Christmas hamper raffle for Cancer Research
£105 was raised for the Poppy Appeal
Christmas Jumper Day raised £540 for Jimmy’s Cambridge
Services in Preparation for Christmas raised £839 for Blue Smile, Colours of Dance Radiates and The Karen Morris Memorial Trust
£488 was raised for the Cambridge Children’s Hospital at the Form 5 Production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Byron House Summer Fair raised £940 for The Karen Morris Memorial Trust
£1,478 raised for Macmillan at the ATW Box End Triathlon
House charities: £332 Cancer Research (Gunning), £347 Cancer Research (Fisher), £201 The Karen Morris Memorial Trust (Sandys) & £417 for the Wood Green Animal Shelter (Beaufort)
Top: Byron House Summer Fair; bottom left: Form 6 Charities Morning; middle right: Senior Citizens’ Christmas party & bottom right: PowerHouseGames multi-team event with Power2Inspire charity
St John’s Triathlon Relay in Memory of Miss Grant
The community suffered a devastating blow this year 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 the College Chapel on the 4th July and in May 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 charity Macmillan Cancer. 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.
“Miss Grant was creative, caring and inspiring. She encouraged all the children she taught and was a strong advocate for them.”
“She always had a huge smile on her face and was cheerful and an extremely positive teacher. We will all miss her.”
Staff taking part at the ATW Box End Triathlon Relay Anne-Marie Grant
Forms 5 & 6 Pupil Forum
Pupil Forum
Listening to children and looking at the world through their eyes is at the heart of the St John’s ethos. The Pupil Forum is a vehicle for listening to children and allowing them to develop leadership skills and a sense of agency in their School. Representatives from each year group meet every week to discuss and plan ways to improve the School. The aim of the Pupil Forum is to bring about changes within the School, on issues and matters that are important to the children, which are not just important for us but also significant in the wider world.
Ideas raised at Byron House have included: gathering ideas, selecting a short list and organising the voting to name the Puffin Nest area, improving outdoor areas by adding a clock to Playground 1, making posters to encourage a greener approach in School such as turning classroom lights and taps off, throwing rubbish in the appropriate bins and using less single-use packaging in their snacks.
Senior House Pupil Forum discussed multiple topics including: the process of selecting a Head Boy and Girl, menu suggestions of houmous, fudge tart and a selection of cheeses and the possibility of hosting an IAPS sports tournament. They also met with Mr Chippington to raise some of their main ideas including whether there was an opportunity to develop the role of House Captains with increased responsibilities. They also went on a site tour with the Director of Operations and Maintenance Manager. Other topics discussed: investigating a bike rack cover, auditing the sports lockers, having less red meat options and more fish and white meat, setting up a well-being area and organising a memorial rugby fixture to commemorate Mr McComb, providing more buddy time, adding doors on lockers and looking into having a reused paper supplier.
Enrichment Afternoons
Thursday afternoons for Forms 3 to 6 offer ‘collapsed-timetable’ sessions to cater for an expansive range of enrichment activities in addition to a regular schedule of lessons in the ‘My Mind’ curriculum (incorporating Philosophy, Executive Functions, Mindfulness, Reasoning, Study Skills, Research Skills and Digital Well-being). A sample of some of the Enrichment activities provided this year is outlined below.
Michaelmas Term
‘The Big Draw’ afternoon
Poetry workshop with Paul Lyalls
Optional Computing/Music Composition/Spanish Young Shakespeare Company visit
Hinduism talk
Cambridge University Library trip
St John’s Got Talent show
Cambridge Synagogue trip
Motor Sport Journalism talk from Vicki Butler-Henderson
Lent Term
Interview practice
IWM Duxford Art trip
Cambridge Buddhist Centre trip
St Giles’ Church trip
Astronomy & Space Dome visit
Himalayan Trust talk
Epping Forest Geography trip
Sports Psychology Talk from Helen Davies (Think Believe Perform)
Summer Term
Outreach projects
Cambridge Mosque trip
Museum of Classical Archaeology trip
Sustainable Agriculture talk from Claire Mackenzie (Six Inches of Soil)
French Drama productions
Cambridge Gurdwara trip
Bletchley Park History & Computing trip
Latin play competition
Top: Form 4 Religious Studies Cambridge Mosque trip & bottom: Form 5 Music Enrichment option
Co-Curricular
Academic attainment and pastoral care are key elements to School life at St John’s and they are complemented by a broad and enriching cocurricular programme to provide a rounded education. The variety of provision within the co-curricular offering ensures that all aspects of the School’s life are enriched through either physical activities, creative challenges, performances and service to the School, amongst others.
Here are the types of cocurricular clubs we offer:
Book Café Chatterbooks
Debating
International Films
Journalism
Reading for Empathy
British Sign Language
Ancient Greek
Beginners Italian
Art
Arts Award
Design Technology
How to Think when Drawing
Pupil Forum
Sewing
Sugar Craft
Wool Craft
Aquathlon
Athletics
Football
Rugby
Cricket
Hockey
Chess
Field Run
Football
Golf
Mini Tennis
Multi Sports
Netball
Rowing
Running
Squash and Fives
Swimming
Tennis
Calm Club
Happy Mind, Body & Heart
Yoga & Mindfulness
Ballet
Drama
Shakespeare
Strictly@SJCS
Grade 5 Music Theory
Music Composition
Music Ensembles
Musical Theatre
Pop Choir
Potential Music Scholars
Year Group Choirs
Chamber Choirs
Junior Choir
Lego
Film
Fun & Games
Tabletop Games
Computer Control & Electronics
Digital Craft
General Programming
Micro:bit
Python Programming
Being a Boarder at Whitfield House
Our dedicated team, led by the Head of Boarding, ensures the well-being of our boarders and their families.
We seek to create a home from home in which our boarders feel safe, happy, nurtured and are able to flourish in both work and play in a relaxed and warm environment. In their final year our focus is to prepare our boarders for their future schools by teaching them greater independence and life skills.
Whitfield House can accommodate up to 40 children, offering a co-educational community, with various boarding options, such as full boarding, flexi boarding or weekly boarding. There is also the option to book on an ad hoc basis, subject to availability.
The House has two main social areas: the kitchen and the recreation room. We also have a calm, quiet space where the children might enjoy reading or playing board games.
There is help on hand with prep sessions, as well as with music practice, and a wide range of activities are on offer during the children’s free time. We make full use of the School’s wonderful grounds and facilities, ranging from the swimming pool, tennis courts and Playing Fields. Throughout the summer months we make the most of being outside in the sunshine and have barbecues and ice cream in the beautiful surroundings. During the cooler months, our boarders can enjoy toasting marshmallows around the fire pit and are occasionally treated to hot chocolate and a movie.
St John’s College Choir’s Tour to Luxembourg and The Netherlands
The Choir of St John’s College Cambridge went on tour for the first time since before the pandemic to Luxembourg and The Netherlands with Director of Music, Christopher Gray. They performed Christmas concerts to packed audiences at the Luxembourg Philharmonie with the internationally acclaimed organist Thomas Trotter, at one of the world’s finest concert halls, the Royal Concertgebouw, in Amsterdam, at the TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, St Jacobskerk in Vlissingen, also at Kathedraal St Bavo in Haarlem and their final concert at St Stevenskerk in Nijmegen.
“When I entered the Concertgebouw Hall in Amsterdam my jaw dropped as I looked around in amazement. There were hundreds of velvet red seats. I climbed up onto the stage and felt a sense of awe. The concert went brilliantly and I enjoyed every little bit of it.”
French & Drama Productions
Form 4’s French plays are a unique and engaging way for the children to combine their language skills with their creativity in drama. The collaboration between French language learning and theatrical performance allows them to immerse themselves in the language in a fun and interactive way.
Form 4 were grouped and given a play in French that incorporated vocabulary and phrases from familiar topics. They worked together to understand the play, listen to recordings for pronunciation practice, assign roles, and plan the staging of the play. The children also sourced props and costumes, with an emphasis on environmental friendliness and sustainability.
The children not only improved their French language skills but also developed their teamwork, creativity, and performance abilities. The final performance to the Form 3s provided an opportunity to share their hard work and talent with their peers.
“There was a sense of freedom as we could choose our characters and how the acting developed. It was also great as we learnt so many new French words and acting them out helped us to remember them!”
‘Ludi Scaenici’ Competition
A group of Form 6 classicists showcased their talent at the ‘Ludi Scaenici’ Latin Drama Competition at The Perse School in Cambridge. Their original play, Lingua Latina Mortua Est!, was crafted by both pupils and teachers and was performed entirely in Latin and was a real culmination of both language and drama.
Form 6 are in their fourth year of studying Latin and have drawn from their experiences with the Cambridge Latin Course Book 1 to create this play.
“It was amazing to be able to perform a script we had written in Latin for the competition!”
Form 6 Latin Play Lingua Latina Mortua Est!
Form 4 performing their French Plays
Drama offers an incredible opportunity for children to develop crucial life skills. The children can enhance their collaborative and communication abilities, learn to be resourceful, responsible, and rigorous and develop resilience and a willingness to take risks. These skills are essential for success in various aspects of life, both in the present and in the future. Drama provides a safe and supportive environment for children to explore their creativity, express themselves and build confidence. Children can learn to work together, problem-solve and think critically. Moreover, they can develop a sense of discipline and determination, as well as the ability to adapt and overcome challenges. Drama is an enriching and empowering experience for children, enabling them to grow and thrive in a fully inclusive and fun environment.
Form 5 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Top left: Kindergarten nativity
A Wriggly Nativity; top right: T1 nativity Christmas with the Aliens; middle left: Form 1 Roman Britain Rewritten; middle right: T2 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; bottom left: Form 2 The Lost Words; bottom centre: Form 3 Scheherazade & bottom right: Form 4 A Night of Heroes, Monsters and Legends
Sixth Form’s ‘Passion Play’
The telling of Christ’s Passion at the end of the Lent term by our departing Form 6 is a tradition which goes back several decades. The dynamic script was redesigned last year to include developing the role of women in the play and addressed any anti-Semitic issues by including elements which show the beauty and importance of the Jewish religion within the Passion story, through words, song and an instrumental piece.
“Performing the ‘Passion Play’ was very different to all the other productions we have been part in of at St John’s. We had to consider not only the story but the symbolism behind it too.”
Sport
At St John’s, our goal is to ignite a passion for sports in every pupil. We aim to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in various sports, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle that will benefit both their physical and mental well-being. Our PE and Games curriculum focuses on developing pupils’ physical fitness, tactical understanding, teamwork, and other valuable life skills such as leadership, communication, and perseverance. We believe that participating in sports not only builds character but also instils important values like resilience, creativity, and humility. Our ultimate aim is to inspire a lifelong love of physical activity and sports in our pupils.
The U11 Boys’ Hockey team showed real skill and determination throughout the season, dominating their competition on their way to becoming County champions. Their success was a result of training, teamwork, and a strong passion for the sport. They went on to be crowned East Regional champions and this solidified their status as a formidable force in youth hockey. The players’ commitment to improving their skills and supporting each other both on and off the field was evident in their performance. The U11 Boys’ Hockey team’s success reflects their hard work, perseverance, and unwavering spirit.
The U11 Girls put up a strong fight at the IAPS Hockey Regionals, securing a respectable 3rd place in the Cup competition. Although they narrowly missed out on advancing to the National Finals, their performance was commendable and they should be proud of their efforts.
The Under 11 Boys’ IAPS Regional Rugby team achieved joint first place with Bishop’s Stortford at the Brentwood tournament. The tournament provided a valuable opportunity for the team to test their abilities against strong competition and further develop their rugby prowess. The players’ hard work and commitment to training paid off, resulting in a well-deserved victory. This success will undoubtedly inspire the team to continue striving for excellence in future competitions.
The U11 Girls’ team showcased their skills at a football tournament held at the Abbey, the home stadium of Cambridge United. Competing against five other schools, the girls displayed great determination and sportsmanship throughout the event. Despite facing tough competition, they managed to secure an impressive 2nd place finish and the tournament provided the girls with valuable experience to bond as a team, further enhancing their passion for football.
House Football returned and was as popular as ever. We had an U13 block football fixture with Stephen Perse Foundation at the end of Michaelmas term and are looking to include a ‘football week’ next year. We entered the U11 and U13 Boys’ IAPS Football tournaments and were proud of how much the boys were eager to develop their skills throughout each game.
St John’s Equestrian Team U11 Boys’ team crowned East Regional Hockey Champions
The SJCS horse riding team, Aline Halban Taylor and Momoka and Eiji Varian, competed in NSEA Arena Eventing Qualifiers (Jumping with Style) 80cm and qualified as a team for NSEA National School Championship in October.
Alexander Holmes qualified for the IAPS National Finals (50m Backstroke) in the Olympic Pool and our House Swimming was a roaring success with all of Senior House representing their respective Houses.
The Oundle Triathlon saw an impressive turnout of 156 enthusiastic St John’s pupils ready to push their physical limits and embrace new team challenges in swimming, cycling and running. Frankie Benstead, Lucy Sawtell and Alexander Holmes qualified through the District Round to run in the Cambridgeshire School XC Championship. Frankie Benstead qualified to represent St John’s and Cambridgeshire at the Nationals (English Schools). We trialled a new format for the House Cross Country which included options of distances which was received well by our Forms 4 to 6 pupils who took part.
The U11 Girls’ team played exceptionally well and were joint first at the County Cricket tournament. Our Boys’ 1st XI cricket team have had an undefeated season.
Rowing, tennis and squash and fives are popular Games choices on Wednesdays and they offer pupils the opportunity to participate in sports that are not the main term’s game. The variety of options ensures that there is something for everyone to enjoy and excel in.
23 athletes selected from Forms 4, 5 and 6 travelled to Bedford International Athletics Stadium for the East Area Prep Schools Championship with over 50 Prep Schools competing. Gabriel Gritten (Form 6) came 3rd in U14 Long Jump, Matilda Newitt (Form 5) came 3rd in U13 Javelin, Isabella MacLean (Form 4) came 2nd in U12 Long Jump (Qualified for Nationals), Emmanuel Mba came 2nd in U13 100m (Qualified for Nationals) and Amir Jambor-Sadeghian came 1st in U13 High Jump (Qualified for Nationals). At the 50th National Prep Schools Athletics Championships Emmanuel won his heat in 100m with a time of 12.74s which allowed him to compete in the Final coming 3rd place overall with a time of 12.71s and Amir came 1st place in the high jump, jumping 1.54m. At the Forms 2 and 3 Athletics tournament event at Wilberforce Road we had our biggest success in the Long Jump with both Sasha Bautin and Jack Slater (both Form 2) coming 2nd in their respective U10 events.
U11 Boys’ team at the County Cricket tournament
Cambridge United Foundation
U11’s Girls’ Football tournament
Leavers’ Destinations & Awards
53 Form 6 boys and girls are leaving for Senior Schools. They are proceeding as follows:
13 to The Leys; 10 to King’s Ely; 6 each to Perse Upper and Stephen Perse Foundation; 4 to Oundle; 2 each to Gresham’s, Haileybury, St Mary’s, Cambridge and Sancton Wood; 1 each to Culford, Eton, Harrow, Hethersett Academy, King’s Canterbury and St Christopher.
At the time of going to press, the following 19 awards were achieved as follows: -
Shemi Ayers
Bertie Banks
Frankie Benstead
George Bowsher
Elias Brown
Harry Cross
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 Gresham’s
Headmaster’s Award Gresham’s
Drama Scholarship
The Leys
Academic Scholarship Stephen Perse Foundation
Drama Scholarship Haileybury
Academic Scholarship
Academic Scholarship
Stephen Perse Foundation
Stephen Perse Foundation
Music Scholarship Oundle
Music Exhibition Eton
Academic & DT Scholarships
St Mary’s
Music Scholarship Haileybury
Academic Exhibition in Humanities & DT Oundle
Sport Scholarship
Stephen Perse Foundation
Music Scholarship King’s Ely
Drama Exhibition
Academic & Art Scholarships
The Leys
Stephen Perse Foundation
Music Exhibition King’s Canterbury
Music Scholarship Harrow
Music Scholarship King’s Ely
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.
© St John’s College School 2024