Senior School

* Please see 'Latest News' for Senior School News updates

Welcome to the Senior School.

Many parents and teachers consider the years of Secondary education to be the most stressful for pupils, and the most critical for their future development.  GCSE performance is more than a reflection of a pupil's innate ability and GCSE examinations, including their coursework components, require a steady and supportive framework of classwork, homework and ongoing motivation throughout the 5 years of Secondary schooling.  These disciplines and routines need to be established at the age of 11 or 12 in order to allow the student to maximise his or her potential at 16.

At St John's College, a nightly programme of homework is set, and this forms an essential part of each subject's study.  Pupils are introduced at an early stage to the concept of refining their work to prepare themselves for the demands of GCSE.  Most important for pupil development, however, is the sense of a secure and supportive school environment, where effort and achievement are recognised and applauded.

By the age of fourteen, each pupil will have arrived at an individually chosen programme of study, leading to a balanced set of GCSE qualifications, in as many subjects as will encourage the best quality of achievement of each individual, aiming at grades A*, A, B & C.  Particular support is provided for pupils for whom the target of five GCSEs or more represents a particularly stressful goal.

Careers Activities

Careers activities days are provided throughout the year for the Senior School in collaboration with Careers Wales.  An
options evening is held at St John’s each year which enables students to research the subjects in which they have a keen
interest. 

During careers activity days, pupils demonstrate creativity and the ability to work as a team to design outfits
from raw materials such as newspaper and card, which are then presented by the team and judged. 

These activities are held with the view to developing communicating, creative, problem solving and team working skills for the future.

Fifth Form Mathematics Pop Quiz: University of Glamorgan - 9th December

Congratulations to the two teams who represented the school at the Fifth Form Mathematics Pop Quiz at the University of Glamorgan at Pontypridd.  Josephine Jackson’s team came 2nd (Baruch Tong, Charlotte Camilleri, Macario Chung and Mitchell Dharmasena) and Ying Teng’s team (Richard Edwards, Saeed Kayhanian, Howard Cheung, and Michael Newman) a close 3rd.  Both teams had the same number of points – just 1 fewer than the winners (Whitchurch High) – and had to be separated by a tie-breaker.  Each team came home carrying a cup, full of excitement about the questions and their achievements.  A perfect end to the day.

R14 pupils' Art & DT trip to Bristol Zoo - Monday 21st September

Pupils studying Art and DT are currently undertaking a cross-curricular project.  The artists will be designing and making a clay vessel inspired by an animal.  DT pupils will be either designing and making the packaging for these vessels or designing and making a point of sale.  All pupils start the project by recording observations in the Educational Conservation Centre at the zoo. This gives the pupils the opportunity to see animal skins and a variety of stuffed animals, but we are also able to handle and draw a variety of insects and reptiles.  Pupils then draw a selection of other animals around the zoo. This gives the pupils invaluable first hand experience.  We look forward to the results of the final pieces and praise pupils for their excellent behaviour.

A selection of recent artwork by St John's College pupils:

George Thomas (R13) is invited to Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2009
George Thomas performed so well in the Junior Challenge that he was invited to take part in the Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2009.  In the two hour long paper, he performed exceptionally well and was awarded a Distinction and a JMO medal.

R14 History Trip to the Battlefields of the First World War 4-5 June

Our fifth trip to the battlefields was a huge success and all thirty-two pupils were a credit to the school.

On the first day of our whistle-stop tour we visited the Belgian town of Ypres and its museum, the preserved trenches at Sanctuary Wood and Tyne Cot, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world. In the evening we attended the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate and laid a wreath on behalf of St John's College.  Our second day was spent visiting the Somme region; the battlefield at Newfoundland Park, the underground museum at Albert and then holding our own moving ceremony at Mametz Wood, the scene of tragic heroism by the 38th Welsh Division.  As always, one of the highlights was our visit to our favourite chocolate shop in Ypres!

The experience had a profound impact on us all and is reflected in every one of the pupils' trip diaries. Here are a few comments, so representative of all our feelings:

"The two days of the trip have changed the way I think about war." Oliver Willy

"Even though the things we saw were sad I am glad I saw them." Tiffany Bale

"This trip was a sombre, humbling experience but also great fun with friends. The contrast between fun and seriousness was a good touch, but also made us realise how lucky we are. I will never forget this trip." Hugh Price

"I don't think I really appreciated what people have done for us in the past but I will never be as naive again." Rebecca Stevens.

Mrs R. Hart (Assistant Head / Head of History)

Middle School Eisteddfod 2009                    

All pupils had an excellent time at the Middle School Eisteddfod this year. Pupils competed in numerous competitions and were awarded with a certificate and a prize if they were in the top 3 of their category. Highlights of the day included:

• The R12 Welsh choir competition (winners - Bute & St David’s)
• The R13 Welsh reciting poem (winner – Harriet Williams)
• Music performances by a range of pupils in both years
(winners Matthew Barbato R12C and Morgan Foley R13R)

• A quiz (winners - De La Salle)
• A contemporary dance display
• A competition to design a love spoon during art lessons. The pupils then had to choose their favourite design to enter the Eisteddfod competition. A local craftsman made the two winning designs in beach wood (winners Leila Al-Mitwally R12W & Aimee Howells R12T).
• A folk dance to award the bard winner Daniel Jeremy R13C at the end of the day.

The overall house winners were Mostyn, with Daniella Mizzen R12T (Bute) and Harriet Williams (R13R Bute) winning the prize for most points scored for their house.

Well done to all pupils for their excellent efforts.

GCSE Results 2009

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Prospectus
f/Prospectus_2010.pdf

Middle School Handbook
f/MS_Handbook_09-10.pdf

Newsletters
• December 2009
f/MS_Newsletter_Dec_09.pdf
• June 2009
f/MS_News_June_09.pdf
• Summer 2008                                                                                                                                                                     /f/MS_Newsletter_Summer_08.pdf
• December 2007
/f/MS_Newsletter_Dec_2007.pdf
• July 2007
/f/MS_Newsletter_July_2007.pdf
• December 2006
/f/MS_Newsletter_Dec_2006.pdf
• July 2006
/f/MS_Newsletter_July_2006.pdf
• April 2006
/f/MS_Newsletter_April_2006.pdf