A traditional approach to academic sixth-form teaching including close supervision in a tutorial context, is balanced with opportunities for students to improve their capacity for clear thought and reasoning, along with a fuller development and broadening of their cultural horizons.
Students are prepared to compete for admission to Britain's first-division universities, and are offered careful advice on university selection with preparation for the process of interview. Sixth form life at St John's College is quite distinct in tone and atmosphere, and sixth formers constitute their own independent society, enjoying a separate common room and provision for an area of quiet study. A-levels are offered in a wide range of subjects at both AS and A2. Pupils normally select the four or five which best suit their aptitude and interests as their AS-level subjects, continuing three or all four subjects to A2.
The Sixth Form Offers
• An Outstanding Record of A level Results & University Admissions.
• Specialist Teaching & Very Small Class-Sizes.
• Supervised Study Periods.
• Excellent Science, Music, Sport & ICT Facilities - wireless broadband & interactive whiteboards in many classrooms.
• Weekly Debating Coaching & National Competitions - recent finalists in the Cambridge Union Schools’ Debating Competition.
• Weekly Young Enterprise Coaching.
• Economics & Enterprise Competition organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW).
• Established Links with Companies & Institutions - giving sixth formers wide-ranging work-experience opportunities and advice.
• Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Curriculum
In 2010, St John’s College was ranked No. 1 in the Western Mail League Table of top A-level results in Wales, and No. 18 inThe Times league table of the top A-level results in the whole of UK. Every year since the year 2000, St John’s College has been the leading school in Wales at A-level.
A-levels are offered in a wide range of subjects at both AS and A2. Pupils normally select the four or five which best suit their aptitude and interests as their AS-level subjects, continuing three or four subjects to A2.
University Admissions The Sixth Form has a very impressive record of University admissions, with exceptional success in gaining places at all of the leading schools of Medicine and Dentistry (including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Nottingham and Cardiff). Significant numbers of students have also gained places in the humanities, with many successful admissions to read Law, History, English Literature and Music in first division universities (notably Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, St Andrew’s and Cardiff).
Extra-Curricular Pursuits
At St John’s College, Sixth Formers are encouraged not only to excel in their chosen subjects but to pursue all manner of extra-curricular interests. In recent years, their professionalism and commitment have underpinned the development of the school’s award-winning Concert Orchestra and the Cathedral Choir, and the recently formed Close Harmony group singing in the style of The King’s Singers. We have an enviable record of candidates gaining choral scholarships to Oxbridge Colleges, including the world famous choirs of Magdalen College (Oxford) and King’s College (Cambridge). Many Students have also gone on to perform as instrumental soloists and in top university orchestras alongside their chosen academic subjects.
The lunchtime Debating Society takes part in the highly respected Oxford Union and Cambridge Union schools debating competitions, recently reaching the Finals Day at the Oxford Union. Further afield, the annual Spanish trip is a favourite amongst Sixth Formers. Last year they travelled to Salamanca to receive specialist linguistic tuition and undertake work placements. In 2011, our Economics students have entered the National Business and Enterprise Competition organised by the ICAEW. This will enhance their business and enterprise skills and also give insight into financial careers. Our Science students take part in vocational training days, most recently in a DNA Photocopying Workshop at the Techniquest laboratories and a Particle Physics Masterclass at Swansea University. One of our Upper 6th students has gained an award for his contributions to the Faulkes Telescope Project at the Physics Department of Cardiff University, while our Mathematicians perform outstandingly in the UK Maths Challenge.
An entrepreneurial spirit is encouraged amongst Sixth formers, with recent students having taken a key role in establishing new societies and Fair Trade within the school as well as directing younger pupils in musical ensembles. Sixth Form students at St John’s can take pride in their willingness in the classroom to learn, as seen in their rapport with staff. This student-teacher rapport extends to Staff & Sixth Form weekly football training, aerobics and sporting fixtures throughout the year, including the annual Staff Vs Sixth Form cricket match.
Former students have also built on their sporting achievements at school to go on to represent their university teams. Recent SJC alumni have gone on to play rugby, football, netball, cricket, tennis and golf at university level, and also include a Cambridge Blue Boxer and an international skier.
NEWS
Ashar Asif (L6th) starts Medical Blog for all GCSE / A level students interested in Science. Please see: http://asharsmedblog.blogspot.com/
AS Level DNA Photocopying Workshop - Wed 7 December 2011.
During early December, the Lower sixth AS level students attended a DNA Workshop in Techniquest. The pupils extracted their own DNA from a mouthwash sample, and amplified the DNA using a technique called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). They then used gel electrophoresis to display genotypes from the samples.
The workshop gave them an insight into working in a laboratory. The content covered complimented the AS level syllabus, thus helping to prepare them for their forthcoming external examinations in January.
Mrs Rogerson.
Sixth Form Close Harmony perform at Glamorgan University Carol Service at the Atrium - Tues 6 December 2011.
The Sixth Form Close Harmony Group were invited to sing at Glamorgan University's Carol Service in the grand surroundings of The Atrium, performing traditional carols such as Away in a Mangerand In the Bleak Mid Winter to the students and staff at the University. On the lighter side, the Sixth Formers also performed arrangements of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Paul Mcartney's Wonderful Christmastime.
Sixth Form Debaters compete in the Cambridge Union Schools Debating Competition -Fri 2 December 2011.
Sixth Formers Sell their Products to the Public at IKEA -Thurs 1 December 2011.
The Young Enterprise Companies - Horizon and Globo-Prestige, joined several other schools from the Cardiff and Vale area at a trade fair held at Ikea, Cardiff Bay.
At this fair they were able to promote their business ventures and trade with the public. Both companies were very successful at doing this and ended their trading in profit.
The students really enjoyed this opportunity to further develop their entrepreneurial skills. The companies are now planning and looking forward to their next ventures.
Miss Llewellyn.
Art & Design A level group visit the National Museum of Wales and the Martin Tinney Gallery Cardiff - Fri 25 November 2011.
The Art & Design A level group travelled to the National Museum of Wales and the Martin Tinney Gallery Cardiff. The students were able to see a range of contemporary Welsh artists as well as the fantastic historical, Impressionist and modern collections. As well as being a very enjoyable experience, the students were able to study a range of artworks and can now include evidence of this in their sketchbooks.
Mr Moody.
Sixth Form Team wins 1st place Senior Team Maths Challenge at Cardiff University - 21 November 2011.
The highly regarded UKMT Further Maths Competition tests mathematical, communication and team work skills. A team of 4 Further Maths students (2 from L6 and 2 from U6) competed against similar teams from other schools from this region in a 3 hour exam.
Our team has now been invited to the National finals in London on 1 February 2012. Many congratulations to Jerry, Yuxia, Sandeep and Cynthia!
8 Sixth Formers Win Gold at UKMT Senior Maths Challenge - 20 November 2011. An impressive 8 Sixth Form students have been awarded Gold certificates, 9 Silver and 6 Bronze. Also, one student was an automatic qualifier for British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1 (BMO1) and 6 students for Senior Kangaroo. They will be competing in the highly demanding and competitive BMO1 and Senior Kangaroo on 2 December 2011.
Hannah Blyth (U6th) Nominated for Young Star Award in Women of the Year Ceremony chaired by HRH The Princess Royal - Wed 16 November 2011.
Following international recognition for her discovery of two asteroids this summer and co-discovering a fragmenting comet during a summer work experience placement, Hannah Blyth (U6th) attended the Women of the Year awards in London on Wednesday. Hannah was shortlisted for the Young Star category. She said: 'Being in the running for a Women of the Future Award has come as a huge surprise, I come from a small town in Wales and didn’t think something like this would happen to me!'
'It’s given my confidence a huge boost and I’m now more driven than ever to persevere with my chosen career path in science. I’ve chosen to go on to study biology and biochemistry at university, followed by going into astrobiology as a research field.” Hannah will now receive specialist career guidance with the support of worldwide networking company, Cisco. Many congratulations to Hannah!
Sixth form debaters compete in Debating Matters Competition at Bishop of Llandaff School - Tues 1 November 2011. Congratuations to the ladies and gents of the Sixth Form who competed for St John's College on Tuesday evening. For many of the Lower 6th speakers, it was their first competitive debate. Our students are now preparing for their next competition - the Cambridge Union Schools Debating Competition at Howells School on Friday 2 December, followed by The Oxford Union Schools Debating Competition at the end of January 2012.
Lower Sixth Formers Create New Brands at Young Enterprise Launch Event - Wed 28 September.
Students from Lower 6th form Young Enterprise Companies ('Horizon' and 'Globo Prestige') attended a Launch Event for the Young Enterprise Company Programme. This event gave them some helpful advice on running their Young Enterprise companies and how to create a brand identity for themselves. As part of the event the students were asked, in their teams, to create a new brand identity for a bottle of water and to present this to the audience. Both teams were incredibly successful in creating innovative brands and delivering engaging presentations - a real credit to St John's College.
New Sixth Form Young Enterprise meets every Wednesday lunchtime. The Lower 6th students are taking part in the Young Enterprise Company Programme. This gives them an opportunity to set up and run their own Young Enterprise Company over the course of the next academic year. They attend weekly meetings to discuss company matters and to deal with any associated financial and administrative tasks. During these meetings the students will be joined by a Mentor (a volunteer from the Business Community) who will help guide and support the students.
As well as running the company, students will be invited to take part in a nationwide competition, which runs next March, to find the Young Enterprise Company of the year. The scheme will provide an exciting opportunity for the students to build and develop their communication, problem solving, leadership and teamwork skills and also to demonstrate their entrepreneurial spirit. The first meeting of Young Enterprise has been very successful. 29 Lower Sixth students have chosen to take part in the programme and two companies have now been formed. Globo-Prestige and Horizon. The students will attend a Launch Event at Glamorgan University on 28th September 9.00am-12pm. This will offer the students an opportunity to find out more about the programme and also a chance to meet with competing schools across the Cardiff and Vale area.
Sixth Form Debating Society meets on Thursdays from 12.55-13.25. Building on the school's impressive record in past years, teams will again enter the Oxford Union and Cambridge Union Schools Debating Competitions. Please see Mrs Higgins or Mr B. Neville for more details.
Sixth Form Close Harmony rehearses on Tuesdays, 12.55-13.25. Following our successful tour of schools in Cardiff this summer, the group has a steady stream of concert bookings for the year ahead, including a joint charity concert with 'Go Compare' Tenor Wynne Evans in December. This term's arrangements include songs by The Beach Boys, Jackson 5, Mariah Carey and Oasis. All Sixth Formers welcome. Please see Mr J. Neville for more details.
New Sixth Form Girls' Close Harmony rehearses on Mondays & Wednesdays, 10.40am-11am. All Sixth Form Girls very welcome. Please see Isabel Thomas (U6th) for more details.
Hannah Blyth's discovery of 2 asteroids attracts worldwide acclaim. Asteroid 'Hannahblyth' expected to be named after the St John's College Sixth Former! Hannah Blyth (Lower 6th) has spotted 2 asteroids herself and helped discover 22 new asteroids between Mars and Jupiter whilst on a summer placement with the Faulkes Telescope Project, based at the University of Glamorgan. Using robotic telescopes in Australia and on the Hawaiian island of Maui made this impressive discovery and is now expected to have an asteroid named after her.
St John's College ranked No.2 of all independent co-educational schools in the whole of the UK - Source: The Times A Level Results Table Saturday 27 August 2011. Please click the following links:
Top A level results in Wales every year since 2000
Pass rate: 100%
A* Grades = 32.7%
A* / A Grades = 81.2%
A* / A / B Grades = 95%
Entries: 101
'We have nothing but admiration for the hard work and commitment of these young people and the dedication of their enthusiastic and highly experienced teachers. Warm congratulations to them all'.
Dr David Neville
Principal / Head
Among the top students going to university this October are:
Katie W - Cambridge University Veterinary Science [3 A* grades]
Arvind K - Cambridge University Medicine [5 A* grades]
Harrison D - Oxford University Law [ 4 A*grades & 2 A grades]
Sophie L - Southampton University Medicine [3 A* grades]
Patrick G - applying for Physics next year [5 A* grades]
Robin P - Oxford University Politics, Philosophy & Economics
Our students have gained places in subjects such as Medicine, Law, Veterinary Science, Experimental Psychology, English, Music, Dentistry, Politics, Philosophy & Economics at Oxford University, Cambridge University, Imperial College London, St Andrew's University, Edinburgh University, Cardiff University, Southampton University and many other leading British universities.
Sixth Form Music Trip to Elgar's birthplace - Thurs 7 July 2011.
On Thursday 7th July, Sixth form and R14 music students undertook an excursion to Malvern to see the birthplace of the famous English composer Edward Elgar. They watched a presentation on Elgar and were able to view some of his original scores, before visiting the cottage where the composer spent much of his life and the modest graveyard where he was buried. They then climbed to the top of an old Iron Age hilltop in the sunshine, while eating ice creams, for a fantastic view over the Malvern Hills, a sight which provided inspiration for many of Elgar's compositions. (Isabelle Thomas, Lower Sixth Form student).
Sixth Form Close Harmony Outreach Workshops - leading secondary pupils from Wales and Herefordshire in rehearsing for the Festival of a Year in Catholic Education - Tues 28 - Wed 29 June 2011.
This week the Sixth Form Close Harmony Group travelled to St Joseph's High School (Newport) on Tuesday and St David's Sixth Form College (Cardiff) on Wednesday to lead secondary pupils from across South Wales and Herefordshire in rehearsals for the Festival of a Year in Catholic Education (which will be held at St David's Hall on Thursday 3 November 2011). Our Sixth Formers received a very warm welcome from staff and pupils, and were especially pleased to perform songs by the Beach Boys and Michael Jackson to rapturous applause! Further choral workshops will be led by Mr Dominic Neville in schools across South Wales in the Autumn term, as well as orchestral workshops led by Mrs Diana Neville and our Concert Orchestra.
Sixth Form Close Harmony perform songs by Michael Jackson and The Beach Boys for the Nursery and Infant School and parents- Mon 27 June 2011.
Sixth Formers Raise Money for Japan - May 2011. Sixth Formers have been selling personalised keyrings to raise money for Japan, raising a total of £288.68. Particular thanks to Nao Yamamoto (U6th) for organising fundraising.
William James reaches Everest base camp in Nepal for Marie Curie Cancer Care - April 2011. During the easter period William James (Lower 6th student) undertook a trek to Everest base camp in Nepal to raise £1000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. William completed this impressive feat over 16 days during his stay between 13th April the 2nd May, during which he reached heights of around 18,500ft. William is already more than half way towards his £1000 goal. Donations can be made via:http://www.justgiving.com/william-james93.
Sixth Form English Trip to King Lear - March 2011.
On Thursday, 31st March, A Level English Literature students from St John’s took a trip to Stratford upon Avon for the RSC’s new version of King Lear, a text they are studying as part of their course.
This play marks the first production in the in the recently reopened Royal Shakespeare Theatre, originally designed in 1932 by Elisabeth Scott, and now adapted to bring audiences closer to the stage as part of the RSC’s fiftieth birthday celebrations. Greg Hicks as Lear, plus an outstanding supporting cast that included Sophie Russell as Fool, gave a compelling performance of Shakespeare’s bleakest tragedy.
The pupils also had the chance to explore the town’s rich heritage beforehand and are pictured outside Shakespeare’s birthplace. R15 will be heading in the same direction for Macbeth later this year.
Sixth Formers reach National Final of Senior Team Maths Challenge 2011 A team of Further Mathsstudents, Jerry Zhuo (L6th), Yinglun Ten (L6th), Patrick Gildersleve (U6th) and Heidi Zhang (U6th) won 1st place in the Regional heats and were invited to the National Finals in February 2011 to compete against schools from all over the UK. Many congratulations to the students who performed so well in this highly competitive arena.
Sixth Formers take part in National Business and Enterprise Competition, run by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW).
A group of 6 Sixth Form Economics Students travelled to Oxford by executive limousine to partake in a National Business and Enterprise Competition (BASE) run by the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW). The event saw the team (Charlotte C, Macario C, James H, Jerry Z, Yinglun T and Howard C, all of Lower Sixth) analyse a case study of a business and present their findings in a five minute public presentation.
The team performed exceptionally well against immense time pressure and produced an insightful evaluation and a very professional presentation. The team also gained some invaluable careers advice from top firms of accountants exhibiting at the event. The competition was designed to enhance their business and enterprise skills and also give insight into financial careers.
Sixth Formers compete in Oxford Union Schools Debating Competition
On Friday 4 February, three teams represented St John's College at the Oxford Union Schools Debating Competition, hosted by Howells School; Robin P and Ben M, Charlotte C and Ben W, and Josephine J and Saeed K. All three teams performed very well and were up against some extremely experienced and able debaters.
Sixth Formers reach Welsh Final of Cambridge Union Schools Debating Competition
On Saturday 29 January, Elnaz S & Arvind K (Team A) and Idrees A & Ying T (Team B) travelled to Pontyclun to compete in the Cambridge Union Schools Debating Competition hosted by Y Pant Comprehensive School. From the outset, the two teams led the debates, winning 1st and 2nd positions respectively in the pre-prepared debate 'This House Would Ban Music That Glorifies Crime'. In the subsequent debates (for which the teams had 15 minutes to prepare a case for an unseen title), both teams held their own against their competitors from all over Wales. Team A, Elnaz & Arvind, performed outstandingly well and reached the fiercely contested Welsh final. In her first ever public debate, Elnaz should be particularly commended for this outstanding achievement. Congratulations to all of the students who took part. In early February, our Sixth Form students will also compete in the Oxford Union debating competition.
Harrison performs Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 Harrison D (Upper Sixth Form student), who has recently gained an unconditional offer to study Law at Oxford University performs Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, Movt. 2 with the Concert Orchestra at the Christmas Concert and Awards Ceremony - December 2010: http://www.rachman.stjohnscollege.info/
Patrick Gildersleve of Upper 6th hunts variable stars - Faulkes Telescope Project Patrick secured funding from the Nuffield Foundation to undertake research at the Physics Department at Cardiff University under the guidance of Dr Paul Roche. Patrick spent the summer months analysing data from the Faulkes Telescope project where he was given the task of searching for and classifying variable stars. In addition to the work being presented at this year’s National Astronomy Meeting, his work will be compiled as part of a PhD student’s research and he will be credited as a co-author of a paper.
Many congratulations to Patrick for this impressive achievement. Patrick was presented with a certificate by Nobel prize-winner Prof. Sir Martin Evans (Cardiff University) at an evening event held at the Techniquest science centre in Cardiff Bay recently. During the event, Patrick had a poster display about his work on show, and answered questions about his research to the scientists and members of the public who attended. http://www.faulkes-telescope.com/news/2322
Former St John's College pupil takes the Edinburgh Fringe by storm! - Kathryn Griffiths, former pupil of St John's College, who is currently reading English at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, has achieved great success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her play, The Cure. Please follow the link below for a published article written by another former St John's College pupil who is currently studying English at Durham University, Emily Hodge. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/08/12/kat-griffiths-takes-the-fringe-by-storm-91466-27046444/
