The Johnian 2023

THE JOHNIAN 2023

The

From The Head’s Desk

It is with great honour and immense pride that I share the culmination of dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment that has propelled the St John’s community to achieve extraordinary things this year.

As we reflect upon the trials and triumphs of the past twelve months, we are reminded of the words of the renowned American author, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” These words echo through the corridors, on the sports field, on the stage and within all aspects of school life, reminding us that true greatness resides not in our external circumstances, but in the depths of our character and the limitless potential of our human spirit. This is a message I hope our pupils leave St John’s understanding, allowing them to go into the world with an internal confidence to navigate whatever comes their way.

Achievement comes in many forms and our pupils continue to take part in a vast array of academic opportunities and have had many great successes in local and national competitions. One of my highlights from this year will be sitting in my office with a team of pupils who entered a chemistry competition and received a Head’s Commendation for their efforts. When I asked them about their experience of the day, they talked about their excitement when they realised one of the challenges was a titration and I thought to myself how awesome, how many teenagers would sit in The Head’s office to discuss how super excited they were to get a titration challenge in a chemistry competition. They are shining examples of what we are trying to instil in our pupils, a genuine love of learning.

These significant achievements sit alongside the many other opportunities our pupils take part in from the UKMT mathematics challenges, science Olympiad’s, a series of library lectures, poetry competitions, activities during science week (including the much anticipated science staff quiz), a Shakespeare symposium, and EPQ presentations amongst others. We also like to have some fun, with this year seeing us celebrate World Book Day with proceeds from our non-uniform day going to the National Literacy Trust. The MFL Bake-Off competition was really popular and a truly outstanding showcase of culinary talent, although I have still not recovered from all of the tasting required and it was very difficult to choose a winner. With shoes filled with chocolate outside classroom doors to celebrate Christmas in the German department we have worked to meet our goal of stitching a sense of fun in to school life.

Not to be outdone by the pupils, the staff in the Catering Department also entered their own competition. Congratulations to Billy Bassett, Head Chef, and Mark Ingram, Sous Chef, for winning the Gold Award in the Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef Team of the Year Competition. You can read more about their achievement on page 12.

It was a delight to see so many families attending the careers event in the Autumn Term, which saw careers from many walks of life represented inspiring our pupils to aim high to achieve their ambitions. Pupils have learnt a variety of skills, including pitching, trading, medical ethical decision making, constructing a legal case and much more! We are always looking for volunteers, so please do get in touch if you would like to support our careers programme. Find out more on page 95.

It is important to remember that this was the first full school year free from any Covid restrictions, which afforded us the opportunity of a full return to normality. Nothing captured this more than a full return to the House Singing Competition, which is one of my absolute highlights in the House competition calendar. It is always a special moment in which each house comes together from the youngest to the oldest and the senior pupils lead their Houses.

The recent GCSE and A level art exhibition displayed the creative arts at their best and we congratulate all those pupils on not only the quality of their work but recognition of the artistic emotion required to produce pieces of such a high standard.

The jam-packed Performing Arts Department programme has not been short of quality this year. From informal lunchtime recitals, which are a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to gain confidence performing to an intimate audience, to the Concerto Competition in the Autumn Term, which allowed pupils the opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra and pupils from Lower Third to Upper Sixth played with accomplishment and vibrancy well beyond their years.

The Whole School musical Sweeney Todd showcased musical theatre at its best. The professional standard of the performance captured the growth of the performing arts at St John’s. Alongside rock concerts, cabaret evenings and the Summer Concert, the vast array of opportunity is credit to all of those involved in the department. It will come as no surprise that at the end of this year we will have seen more than a threefold increase in the percentage of pupils (now close on 40%) involved in the performing arts than five years ago and double the number of pupils engaging in peripatetic lessons.

The GCSE and A level drama pupils performed 21 pieces across the Spring and Summer Terms. Standout performances in particular, were from the Upper Sixth with their haunting story telling of Pool No Water’ by Mark Ravenhill where their gritty naturalism made us feel like we were not so much a part of the audience, but more like participants in some sort of group counselling session. I will also remember with some trepidation the production of A Series of Public Apologies’ where the audience was so close to the action, I was nearly taken out by a placard during the riot scene!

Adventure is alive and well at St John’s with over 75 pupils achieving DofE across all three levels in the last year. It was a pleasure to celebrate with many of you at the awards dinner. The current gold group have taken part in our first canoe expeditions, although upon hearing about the many locks they had to navigate it is clearly not any easier than walking!

This year saw the CCF have a biannual inspection and whilst rain put paid to the gun run (much to my disappointment) it was a delight to see this aspect of school life in full display. In the report received by the Inspecting Officer he noted staff and pupil enthusiasm and commitment and stated that St John’s has, “a strong well- supported contingent who are evidently a central part of the St John’s School experience and filled with energetic staff and cadets alike.”

Our pupils are not just inward-looking but outward-looking as well. Their involvement in community service is significant and their motivation is a genuine desire and commitment to community contribution. Nothing captures this more than the Community Holiday. am humbled to see Old Johnians returning year after year and now operating as senior staff for the Community Holiday. I am delighted this initiative continues and I hope those find this a rewarding, if challenging experience.

The March Enrichment Day embraced the theme of Making a Difference where pupils volunteered in a variety of activities for the first time, and you can read more about how they supported our local community on page 85.

Our community engagement is ever growing and St John’s recently hosted a series of local primary school visits to use our science facilities, which our Lower Sixth pupils contributed to, hopefully inspiring the next generation of A level scientists. We also planted a phenomenal 840 saplings at the New Fields site in support of the Woodland Trust.

In the sporting year of 2022/2023 the School broke every participation and fixture record ever seen. Across 14 sports the School fielded 213 teams (with 90% of our pupil body representing the School) that competed in more than 2,000 competitive fixtures. We also welcomed back many major sports touring the globe with hockey teams visiting Holland, rugby playing in France and cricket and netball competing across the United Arab Emirates. All sports have notable achievements as I can attest to with the number of celebration breakfasts and dinners I have had the privilege of inviting the pupils to.

When you come to St John’s everyday it is easy to forget the sheer beauty of the environment in which we work. The team are always looking to enhance the facilities and this year saw some glamorous projects and some less so. The sad news of the loss of St Mark’s Church, the founding location of the School, reminded us to be thankful for our beautiful surroundings.

Speech Day is always a perfect opportunity to celebrate success but also to offer thanks and goodbye to those who have contributed in many different ways. This year saying goodbye to our Upper Sixth carried particular significance as they were the trail blazers of the Lower School, parents and pupils alike, as our first 11+ intake which has added so much value to the St John’s community. It feels like just yesterday when they stepped across the threshold, brimming with curiosity and eager to explore the world around them.

As Upper Sixth enjoyed their final Speech Day and their Leavers’ Ball, it marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. It was a moment in which we cherished the memories we�ve created together, the lessons we�ve learned, and the friendships that have blossomed within these walls.

As I move on from St John’s, I encouraged pupils to embrace the unknown with open arms, for it is in the realm of the unfamiliar that you will find the greatest opportunities for growth. I also reminded them of the important of being kind to others, for compassion has the power to change lives. Embrace diversity, and seek to understand different perspectives. The world is vast and full of wonders, waiting for you to explore and make a positive impact.

Rebecca Evans Acting Head (2022-23)

Summer 2023

FAREWELL FROM THE SCHOOL CAPTAINS

Whilst it is impossible to summarise our seven years at St John’s in a few words, we hope we give you a sense of the wonderful time we have had at the School and a flavour of some of the many memories we will cherish as we move forward.

Our cohort was the first at Lower Third entry and our seven years at St John's have been marked by history. Seeing the School in full force both before and after the pandemic, the passion for tradition has only strengthened, to which anyone who has experienced the fervour of the House Pancake Race can testify. Our year group has worked hard to rekindle the unique house spirit by taking a lead in competitions and continually integrating younger pupils into house events. We have been proud leaders of our houses, and having learnt from past pupils, we hope we have done the roles justice.

We have been privileged to see and be a part of every school tradition. Whether that’s been the House Pancake Race or House Singing Competition, we have seen it all. This year we have particularly enjoyed being able to lead the fantastic competitions that we have watched and been a part of for so many years. We have also valued the bonds we have made with our teachers in our Sixth Form years. At St John’s we are so lucky to have such amazing teachers who take the time to make genuine relationships with you and support you through the ups and downs of school life.

With the extra stress and pressure that can come at this stage, these relationships have been what have got us through, and they have only grown stronger over this time. From catering and grounds staff to academic and house staff, we would like to thank all the staff for caring for us, both practically and pastorally, throughout our years at St John’s.

For us, the role of School Captain has exceeded all expectations. It has been the most rewarding challenge. Both of us have been honoured to lead the School this year as it has been a goal of ours since the beginning of Lower Third. From being School Captains, we have learnt the importance of teamwork and communication skills as well as using people�s strengths and sharing a workload. It has been a privilege to be trusted with bridging pupil and staff bodies and something that we haven’t taken lightly. Seeing what goes on behind the scenes in meetings and preparing Chapel talks, amongst other duties, has taught us what a well-oiled machine St John’s is, in which everyone plays their part to ensure it runs as smoothly as it does.

Our thanks must extend to our excellent team of Prefects. Their talents spanning all areas of school life have enabled us to support and encourage many pupils across different year groups, and we are proud to have led such a dynamic and kind team. In embodying and demonstrating the St John�s values to younger pupils, they have helped contribute to an environment in which each pupil can flourish and feel wellsupported. This is not without the great efforts of the Senior Leadership Team, whose work we have been grateful to see behind the scenes, and we thank Mrs Evans and Mr Mogford for entrusting us with this role and for guiding us throughout.

Many pupils favourite memories from St John�s, and certainly ours, would have to be the three school musicals. From the inaugural musical Legally Blonde to Miss Saigon and playing the lead role in Sweeney Todd in our Upper Sixth year, it has been a wonderful journey. The sense of community is something many value about St John’s, and the musicals have been a great example of bringing together pupils from across the year groups. Performing these professional standard shows to an auditorium full of friends, teachers, and family has been a highlight and something we will remember forever. Special

For us, the role of School Captain has exceeded all expectations. It has been the most rewarding challenge.

thanks must go to Mr White for the sheer hard work and dedication he always puts into these productions. It is his passion for the performing arts which he shares with pupils that has made these shows so spectacular.

It is difficult to single out only one memory that we will treasure most. The Christmases we have spent at St John’s have been special: carols in Chapel and around the Christmas tree on the Quad, the traditional boarding Christmas dinner, house rugby and hockey, and the Rock Concert all being highlights. House Singing is also unforgettable. It is no mean feat to get your whole house to sing something (vaguely) tuneful and the whole school enjoys coming together to hear each other sing with gusto. Our first walk up the Chapel aisle as a prefect team is another proud memory. We will also always remember our first days back after lockdowns. We learnt that you really won’t know how much you will miss something until it is gone, and we enjoyed returning to our second home after all that time.

One of the greatest privileges of our role has been getting to know younger pupils. If we could give one piece of advice to new pupils it would be to throw yourselves into everything. Time really flies; one minute you put on your new blazer and huge backpack, and the next you sing your last hymn in Chapel and play your last sports match. Be courageous and try new things. Care for others knowing that you are surrounded by a community that cares for you. Having thrown ourselves into and enjoyed every aspect of school life, it is our hope that we leave you inspired to do the same. We hope that in St John’s you find a home as we have.

Daisy

Murray and Jacob Costard School Captains 2022-2023

Valete

Rebecca Evans

Rebecca joined St John’s as Head of Mathematics in 2013. For those who have worked with her over the last ten years, it is a little surprise that she leaves St John’s as Acting Head. Rebecca has led the School with a sense of calm authority and kindness, and under her leadership, the School has continued to flourish.

As both Acting Head and Senior Deputy Head, Rebecca has been instrumental in ensuring the School lives by its values and places these at the heart of all we do. Rebecca’s focus on values and process, rather than just the outcome, will be the enduring hallmark of her time as Acting Head. Rebecca genuinely embodies these values, and her devotion to the School, its pupils, staff, and parents is an example to all. Rebecca has also helped ensure that the standard of safeguarding at St John’s is exemplary. Indeed, through her leadership, the quality of pupil supervision, staff training, and regulatory compliance is such that we can confidently say we are leading the way among independent schools.

In her time as Senior Deputy Head, Rebecca helped lead the School through some incredibly testing circumstances, not least ensuring St John’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic was robust and successful. She led the way in ensuring bubbles were secure, testing was in place, online teaching was successful, and pupils and staff were kept safe. This was done so well that, unlike most other schools, St John’s never had to close outside of the full lockdown period. Rebecca as Senior Deputy Head also provided the dayto-day leadership of the School through a fantastic ISI Inspection, ensuring the inspectors were fully versed on all the outstanding work the pupils and staff do each day, with a result of being declared ‘Excellent’ in all areas. Under Rebecca’s leadership, the admissions process for the School and pupil recruitment were also continually refined and developed, and the number of applications to the School has risen significantly in recent years.

However, it is in the day-to-day that Rebecca has most exemplified what makes a great Head. She is relentlessly pupil-focused. She always wants what is best for them and to understand the School from the pupil’s perspective and therefore ensure a process of continuous improvement for the children. Rebecca would be at every play and concert, watch as many fixtures as possible, speak to the pupils on the way to lessons, and always be ready to make time

in her diary to see any pupil who asked. As a result, she knows the School, the pupils, and the staff better than any. Rebecca would then continuously look for ways to ensure the pupils felt happier, were kept safer, and were ready to make the best possible progress. Rebecca’s finger was always on the pulse of the School, and she would often foresee the next challenge or difficulty that a particular cohort might face. This deep understanding of school life meant the staff would often be on the front foot with a specific issue, whether it be a matter of discipline, examination pressures, or a broader societal issue that required a response. A core part of this leadership was Rebecca’s Head’s Assembly, which was always accessible but provided the challenge, humour, and encouragement that might be needed. She was also always ready to challenge, ask challenging questions, and make difficult decisions to ensure the children were getting the best from the School. This honesty and integrity were instrumental to the high esteem in which Rebecca is held.

This devotion to the pupils and their care is best exemplified by the fact that despite the demands placed on her as Head, she continued to teach throughout her time as Acting Head. She also continued to be a regular presence through boarding, enjoying the company of the boarders in the evening, and ensuring that boarding continued to flourish. Rebecca’s devotion also extended to the whole staff and parent community. Rebecca was instrumental in developing the quality of staff professional development, new staff induction, and ensuring the standard of teaching and pastoral care were consistently excellent. She also understood the demands our busy school places on all the staff and was always ready with encouragement and support.

Rebecca leaves St John’s to become Head of Sibford School in Oxfordshire. The St John’s community will greatly miss her. The School thanks Rebecca for all she has given to the community over the last ten years. The School, in no small way, is the place it is today thanks to her. We wish her all the very best.

By Alex Mogford

Jamie Powell

Jamie Powell joined St John’s School as Head of Economics in September 2017. He was already an experienced Head of Department, having worked for many years at St Mary’s School, Ascot, and a published author of economics textbooks. During his tenure, he maintained the department’s quality results. The number of pupils studying the subject increased and a considerable number of them pursued economics at university. Like every Head of Department in recent years, he found himself managing the consequences of Covid-19, notably the Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs) of 2020 and the Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) of 2021. The new requirements were both novel and demanding, and every Head of Department who managed them effectively deserves plaudits.

In September 2020 Jamie became Assistant Head (Sixth Form). He was well-suited to the role due to his experience of teaching older pupils, his knowledge and understanding of the university application process, and his genuine interest in young people and desire to help them make appropriate and effective choices about their future.

Upon joining St John’s, he discovered the world of co-curricular activities and was immediately designated coach of the U15D rugby team. By his own admission, his knowledge of the sport was minimal, but he engaged with the wider needs of the School and did his best to engender enthusiasm and safety, if not necessarily ability, in his charges. His sense of humour ensured that the irony of ‘coaching’ such a team was not lost on him, especially when he shared the outfit with a mathematics teacher whose knowledge of the sport was probably even less than his own. Yet significant promotion beckoned when a new Director of Rugby appointed him number two to the 1st XV. His elevation had more to do with his management of pupils, diplomacy with parents, facility in engaging referees, and talent in carrying water bottles, than any ability in coaching, but at least his talents were recognised. During the football term, he was very happy coaching a sport with which he was familiar and indeed played regularly. He first took the U15C team, was promoted to the 2nd XI, and then moved to the more socially inclined 4th XI.

In the summer of 2022, Jamie stepped down as Assistant Head (Sixth Form) as he made a major life decision to move to the US and marry his long-term partner. He continued to lead the teaching in the Economics Department and ensured a smooth transition, working with a new member of staff who would replace him in the role. He also assisted a new teacher in developing her practice, as well as making sure she had a thorough grasp of the syllabus. He leaves us to travel to the New World and the opportunities that await.

By Neil Whitmore

Andy Debney

During his time at St John’s, Andy has supported and motivated numerous pupils from Lower Third through to Upper Sixth, including pupils sitting GCSE and A level mathematics, and A level further mathematics. His welcoming and supportive nature means he has always gone the extra mile to support and engage with all of his pupils. He always dedicates a huge amount of time to not only the pupils in his classes but also to other A level mathematicians, who regularly seek out his help with their revision in the run-up to external examinations.

Andy will be missed by the Mathematics Department where he has made valuable contributions in his time at St John’s, both as a Teacher of Mathematics and previously as Head of Department. He enthusiastically collaborates and shares ideas in discussions on teaching mathematical concepts, continuously helps colleagues both in and outside the department, and regularly shares his extensive knowledge of programmes and calculators. Along with never shying away from a mathematical problem and the opportunity to discuss it with his colleagues! He is an inspirational and committed teacher, and many members of the community have commented on how lucky they have been to work alongside him.

Andy’s enthusiasm for mathematics extends to the clubs he has run, such as the Senior Mathematics Society and Calculator Club, along with sessions that he has run for Oxbridge candidates in the lead-up to their university entrance exams. His numerous years of experience and wealth of knowledge are invaluable skills that have led to him running sessions on memory and memorisation techniques for pupils in Fourth Form and Lower Fifth

St

community

Emma was part of our close-knit community for several years and will be remembered for the warmth and care she showed to all.

Having joined St John’s in 2012 as an Assistant Head in charge of professional development, Emma was soon promoted to Deputy Head (academic) before her departure in 2016 to become Head of Croydon High.

on enrichment days and for colleagues on INSET days. He has also used his experience of timetabling to undertake the role of ‘Assistant to the Timetabler’ where he offered invaluable support to necessary re-timetabling upon return from lockdown.

In the co-curricular life of the School, Andy has fully invested and contributed across all areas. For many years he has coached sports teams and has taken them to Saturday fixtures, most recently the U14B and U15B rugby teams, and the 3rd XI, U15B, and U14B cricket teams. He has been a dedicated tutor to boys in Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth year groups in North House throughout his time at St John’s. He has also led some fantastic enrichment clubs, using his skills beyond mathematics, including juggling, circus skills, and chess. He has supported countless DofE expeditions for Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards (completing no less than five expeditions in just this academic year!).

Andy’s commitment to all aspects of school life is evident to both staff and pupils at St John’s. His willingness to support others and his general company in the common room will be missed across the St John’s community. We have no doubt that his passion for teaching will be an asset at Sherborne College, and we wish him all the best in his move to Dorset.

By Lizzie Hardy

Martin Collier a previous Head of St John’s wrote the following which captured Emma perfectly:

‘Emma was a wonderful person to work with. She was relentlessly positive and upbeat; her smile and her laughter were infectious. Whilst very much her own person, Emma was collegiate and a great team player. She had integrity in buckets; she was loyal, warm and kind. Emma lit up the lives of those around her. She will be sorely missed but not forgotten.’

Gaines Day House Matron

Jamie Garbett

Haider

Sandhya Jayesinghe

Moore Chef de Partie

Mandy Pearce Catering Assistant

Marie Thickitt

Alker Xhixhavic Sous Chef

In Memoriam Emma Pattison

The

John’s School

send their heartfelt thoughts to the family and friends of Emma and Lettie Pattison who lost their lives in such tragic circumstances earlier this year.

Chefs Win Gold Award

NATIONAL CHEF TEAM OF THE YEAR

We are incredibly proud to be celebrating the success of our Head Chef, Billy, and Sous Chef, Mark, who competed in the Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef Team of the Year Competition on Tuesday 21 March. Their stunning, locally sourced dishes impressed top industry judges and saw them win the coveted Gold Award!

International Salon Culinaire, alongside Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) hosted their competition event at ExCeL London from 20-22 March. The event aims to provide seasoned chefs a platform to showcase their outstanding culinary skills and delicious dishes across a series of competitions.

Our Head Chef, Billy, and Sous Chef, Mark, partnered for the two-person competition ‘Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef Team of the Year 2023’, which was sponsored by Waitrose and Partners. During the live theatre 60-minute competition, their brief was to produce two portions of a selection of bowl food that they would recommend for a stand-up event aimed at 20 covers plus, making sure the content was sufficient to provide enough substance for an evening meal. They had to produce three to five plates/bowls, including at least one dessert. In partnership with Waitrose, another key element of the criteria was to include at least three of their ingredient products.

The competition attracts many of the UK’s top industry chefs, including Monica Galetti. Judges were scoring competitors on aspects such as ease of service, balance, content, skills, flavours, tastes, and the use of the sponsor’s products in the dishes presented.

Billy and Mark chose to theme their menu on celebrating the ‘Best of Local’, which along with sustainability and seasonality, perfectly encapsulated their values as chefs. We are one of only a few schools in England to source our meat from a local community business that controls the entire farm-to-fork process. By using locally sourced meat, we are committed to an ethical approach with high welfare standards, which importantly provides benefits to the health and wellbeing of our community and has a positive impact on the environment and the local area.

We are thrilled that their incredible, locally sourced dishes astounded the judging panel. They received high praise for all aspects of their delicious dishes, including their theme, and won the coveted Gold Award.

Take a look at the details of their award-winning menu, below:

CHAAT

Local Hero – Court Lodge Farm Yoghurt | Sponsor’s Ingredients – Vadouvan Spice Blend and Spicy Onion Tadka

Our local hero for this dish is a set, natural, bio-live, organic yoghurt produced by Court Lodge Farm in Wartling, Sussex. The values of the farm’s owners, David and Marian, reflect our own. They are wildlife lovers and care as much about their local environment and sustainability as they do about their free-range, grass-fed, organic dairy cows. That is why we are so keen to showcase their product as part of our ‘Best of Local’ theme. In this dish, which showcases our skills in Indian cuisine, the yoghurt is expertly balanced with several layers of flavour. The palette is allowed to appreciate them all in our refined version of this incredible Indian street food favourite, Chaat. The dish uses two of our sponsor’s ingredients: Vadouvan Spice Blend and Spicy Onion Tadka. It is the spiciest addition to the menu, and being vegetarian, it brings balance to our menu, with fish, poultry, red meat, and dessert dishes to follow.

SUSSEX

CHALK STREAM TROUT WITH A SORREL AND YUZU SAUCE

Local Hero – Fins & Forks Chalk Stream Trout | Sponsor’s Ingredient – Yuzu

Our local hero for this dish is chalk stream trout. We have worked with a small company, Fins and Forks, based in South Downs, to create a bespoke product for this competition. We did a light cure and then cold-smoked the fillet for 24 hours. The line-caught trout is from a local fishery supplied by water from a chalk stream. The chalky earth found in West Sussex is also key to the production of the award-winning English sparkling wines, which will be showcased in our poussin dish. The base of the sauce is rich; however, the citrus from the seasonal sorrel and our sponsor’s Yuzu Juice cuts through this richness, making it the perfect accompaniment for this champion trout.

HEADS AND TAILS PULLED PORK PIE WITH A TRUFFLE POMME PUREE, BUTTERED SPINACH AND A CRUMB OF SMOKED BELLY BACON, BLACK PUDDING AND CRISPY ONION SERVED WITH A RED WINE JUS

Local Hero – Downland Meats Free Range Pork | Sponsor’s Ingredient – Truffle Salt

Our local hero for this dish is pork. At St John’s School, we are so proud that 100% of our red meat comes from our local producer Downland Farm. They are the only farm-to-fork operation in control of the whole process in South East England. Their North Downs based farms are close to the School where we work. All their rare-breed livestock is slowly grown, freerange, and pasture-fed. We have worked extremely closely with Downland to reduce the carbon footprint and plastic packaging of our meat. Downland care so much for their animals, and we share a head to tail philosophy, knowing that a lot of flavour can come from unpopular and unused parts of the animal. This dish and its playful title perfectly demonstrate how much flavour comes from the head and tail meat; parts of the animal abattoirs often put to waste.

BREAST OF POUSSIN, SCOTCH EGG, CARROT AND HONEY PUREE, LOCALLY FORAGED NETTLE CRISP, WILD GARLIC EMULSION, GARLIC FLOWERS, SHIO KOJI, AND NUTTY VINTAGE SPARKLING SAUCE

Local Hero – Nutbourne Vineyards English Sparkling Wine, Nutty Vintage and Locally Foraged Seasonal Wild Garlic and Nettles | Sponsor’s Ingredient – Shio Koji

Our local heroes for this dish are an English sparkling wine as well as locally foraged wild garlic and nettles. West Sussex has been touted as the next Champagne, with some of the biggest Champagne houses scrambling to buy up land. It shares the same chalky earth that runs from Champagne under the English Channel to Sussex. The chalky hills that make up the North and South Downs either side of the county protect the vines from harsh coastal weather. These wines are doing very well at international award ceremonies, and we are using gold medal winning Nutty Vintage from Nutbourne Vineyard in Pulborough to make the sauce for this dish. We are also adding the sponsor’s Shio Koji to the sauce for extra umami flavour.

CHOCOLATE SPHERE WITH BROWNIE, MALT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE AND MISO CARAMEL

Local Hero – J Cocoa Chocolate | Sponsor’s Ingredient – Miso Butter

Our local hero for this dish is chocolate. Sussex-based J Cocoa is one of only few producers in the UK who imports ethically sourced cocoa beans. The owner, James, extracts the nib and butter, removes the shell, and turns this into chocolate, all in his self-built chocolate factory in his parents’ back garden. His single bean chocolates are all unique and have eye-opening flavours. Working with James, we chose a 55% milk chocolate using Chuno cocoa beans from Bocay in Nicaragua because of its malty flavour. Furthermore, we have used a Peruvian cocoa in the brownie. This all pairs with a miso butter caramel made using our sponsor’s Miso Butter.

MEET OUR

Therapy Dogs

There are many benefits to having a therapy dog in a school setting, the main one being the wellbeing of the school community. This year, we have introduced a number of trained and certified therapy dogs to the St John’s family, with the main aim of providing support and comfort to our pupils and staff.

According to a 2019 National Institute of Health study, and other recent studies, the presence of a dog in a school setting can help promote a positive mood, reduce anxiety, improve learning, and enhance motivation.

All of our therapy dogs have been trained to be patient, disciplined, and good-natured to provide companionship and support. Training for our therapy dogs includes ensuring that they can accept being stroked and handled and are not overly worried about having their paws, ears, or tails handled by somebody new. During the assessment, an assessor will check that the dog’s nails are trimmed short and that they can take a food treat gently without snatching. The assessment also ensures that they respond and recover appropriately to a sudden noise or disturbance, as they will encounter lots of new and unexpected stimuli in their role. Our four-legged furry friends love human contact, and our community also greatly benefit from their calming effect. At all times, whilst our therapy dogs are on site, we follow the strict guidelines as set by Pets as Therapy.

Our therapy dogs are already much-loved members of the St John’s family, and you can read more about each of them here.

MEET OTTIE

Ottie (short for ‘spotty’!) is a two-year-old liver and white coloured English Springer Spaniel belonging to the Director of Rugby, Mr St John. She visits twice a week, and she is often found out and about on the fields or by the astro pitches at break and lunchtimes saying hello to pupils and greeting them with a waggly tail. She particularly loves the Lower School who like to make a fuss of her!

As a working breed, Ottie is intelligent and highly driven. She is super energetic and loves keeping active and going out for walks. Equally, she loves affection, whether a lean against your leg, a belly tickle, or a cuddle. Ottie also loves brain training, which includes lots of sniffing to find things, breaking into egg cartons or loo rolls stuffed with wrapping cardboard to find treats, and she also loves playing with tennis balls. Mr St John thinks she would make a great flanker on the rugby pitch.

MEET REGGIE

Reggie is a golden Cocker-Spaniel, and third ‘child’ to Mr White, Deputy Head (Co-curricular and Logistic) who visits us up to three days a week. Pupils can book in to spend some time with Reggie to stroke and cuddle him or just play ball with him.

Reggie is caring, affectionate, fun as well as soft and fluffy! He loves nothing more than meeting new people and proudly wearing his yellow ‘Pets as Therapy’ bandana. Spaniels are renowned for their great noses, which is why the police often use them as sniffer dogs; he is an inquisitive dog who loves sniffing around searching for things and loves to play hide and seek for treats.

MEET RORY

Rory is a black Labrador belonging to the Director of Netball, Miss Travis. He spends lots of time with the team in the sports office and he is available for appointments with pupils every day. Rory found his home with Miss Travis the week before lockdown began, so he was very fortunate to have lots of time for training and he developed a love for cheese during the process!

Rory is a friendly, lovable dog who loves all sports, in particular supporting his favourite football team Tottenham Hotspur. He enjoys spending time by the water, especially Camber Sands, as well as walks at Box Hill. and visits to London!

MEET WOODY

Woody is a Hungarian Vizsla, belonging to Head of Lower School, Mr Harvey. He visits St John’s three days a week. Pupils can book in to spend time with him, and love to drop in to see him in the Lower School.

Woody is energetic, loyal, and well known for his cheeky sense of humour. He likes to drink from puddles, chase tennis balls, and encourage Mr Harvey to run faster during cani-cross! He loves being able to spend time in Lower School and seeing pupils around the site.

Woody helped calm my nerves before my history examination, letting me pet him took my mind of all of the worry I had.

– Lower School Pupil

Woody is always so happy when I see him, and the time we spend together is always really enjoyable.

– Lower School Pupil

Sensational

SUMMER TERM

The warm days of late June were filled with copious amounts of joy. As the examination season was over, and the sun was shining, we focused on our reflective pride in a year jam-packed with fun, learning, and achievement. The last few weeks of the academic year were full to the brim with exciting activities and celebratory events.

It was wonderful to hear the laughter and excitement during welcome events for our incoming pupils. Lower Third, Fourth Form, and Sixth Form events took place over recent weeks. Ahead of September, pupils were warmly welcomed into school and alongside the excitement of activities and sports, it was a perfect opportunity for pupils to start making new friends, get to know their tutor, and ask questions before their first day. Our new team of prefects thrived during their first events in the role and were great ambassadors for the St John’s community.

GCSE and A level artists showcased their talent, hard work, and dedication at the annual St John’s Art Exhibition on Thursday 22 June. It was a fantastic way to proudly celebrate the incredible efforts of our Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth artists.

The Performing Arts Department were as busy as ever, bringing richness and excitement to St John’s. During the last few weeks of term, we were entertained by the Summer Rock Concert, a Musical Theatre Cabaret Evening, and the emotional Leavers’ Lunchtime Recital, which passionately showcased a phenomenal variety of talent.

A highlight for the Fourth Form was an exciting visit from One Day Film School, who taught them some fantastic skills including film history, fight choreography, screenwriting, and camera and editing skills before making short films in groups which were premiered at the end of the day, at the Best Picture Oscars.

walking tour of London, the National Psychology Competition at Royal Holloway, and an inspiring tour and overnight stay at Oxford University. We were delighted to see some of our Lower Sixth pupils welcome local primary school children and coach them in some exciting rugby skills!

The boarding community made the most of evening sunshine, with a joyous classic sports day. Pupils had a huge amount of fun, and it was great to see pupils from all year groups having a great time.

Our sports teams concluded an amazing year with some fantastic successes for our athletics and cricket teams!

The outstanding U14 boys cricket team were unbeaten all season and won the County Cup in a nail-biting final on 27 June. The marvellous U15 girls cricket team recently made it into the final of the County Cup. In rugby, we were proud to see pupils taking part in the Touch to Twickenham tournament (see page 100), as well as providing some magnificent pupil referees.

Fourth Form pupils took part in a brilliant Careers Carousel where pupils enjoyed learning a variety of skills, hearing from industry experts, and gettinghands-on with a range of different careers workshops.

During the final week of term, pupils enjoyed a variety of exciting enrichment activities including visits to Kew Gardens and Chessington World of Adventures for Lower Third, and a residential stay with Land and Wave in Portland, Dorset, for Upper Third.

Alongside several pupils taking part in the overnight CCF trip, Lower Fifth enjoyed activities including an assault course. The Lower Sixth chose from a fantastic array of activities including trips to The Bank of England, a political

Following another busy term of house competitions such as croquet, tennis, and swimming, the culmination of the entire year of house events is the epic whole-school sports day! On Friday 30 June, team spirits were high, and pupils were adorned with face paints, flags,

glitter, and ribbons as they cheered on their house on this thrilling sports day. This year, the event was held at Xcel Leisure Complex in Walton-onThames. With Mr Rao entertaining on the mic, and Mr Parry’s packed schedule of events, there was plenty of fun to be had. Pupils relished getting involved and cheering on their friends. Whether on the track, in the field, or in fun races, there was something for all to enjoy. Congratulations went to West House, Gloucester House, and Red House (Lower School) who won overall.

SPEECH DAY 2023

Theend-of-term celebratory Speech Day and prize-giving events always provide a special moment to pause and look back on the success, strength, and spirit of the St John’s community.

The Lower School Speech Day took to the marquee on Thursday 29 June and saw pupils and staff reflect upon an incredibly fun and busy year of sport, music, drama, charitable fundraising, trips, and academic challenges. The Lower School community celebrated an exciting start to their St John’s journey and spoke wonderfully about the friendships they have formed and their favourite moments.

“If I was going to send a letter to my younger self before she chose a secondary school, what would say? I would say that St John’s is definitely a great choice as it is such a fun, happy place where pupils are challenged and can flourish in a kind and nurturing environment. To me, this is what sets St John’s apart from other schools and makes it a great place to grow.”

– Annabel

“My first year at St John’s has been everything I had hoped for and more. The Lower School is such a warm place to be and all the teachers, our lovely matron, and the Upper Third pupils have made us feel so welcome. I know we will do the same for the new intake of Lower Third arriving in September and I’m sure we all look forward to lots more learning, activities, fun and memory-making!”

– Finley

The academic year at St John’s ended with a spectacular Speech Day on Saturday 1 July. It was wonderful to welcome pupils, parents, staff, and governors to celebrate the year, present prizes, and bid a fond farewell to our departing Upper Sixth.

Alongside awarding end-of-year prizes with the Chair of Governors, John Willis, the Acting Head, Rebecca Evans, highlighted the incredible breadth of achievement across all aspects of school life. Whether in the classroom, in academic competitions, on the sports field or stage, in extracurricular activities or in supporting our local community, there have been a phenomenal number of opportunities for our community to be proud of this year.

School Captains for 2022-23, Daisy and Jacob, spoke fondly of their time at St John’s during their final speech. As we bid a fond farewell to our departing Upper Sixth, the Acting Head encouraged pupils to embrace the end of their educational journey at St John’s and cherish the memories made together, with excitement and anticipation for their next chapter.

We were thrilled to have welcomed James Peach as our guest speaker, whose innovative and adventurous spirit inspired many of the guests in the audience. James spoke passionately about the three lessons

It feels like just yesterday when you stepped across the threshold, brimming with curiosity and eager to explore the world around you. And now, here you are, ready to spread your wings and, I hope, soar.

As you step out into the world, remember that you are capable of greatness. Believe in yourself, for you have already accomplished so much. Your dreams are within reach, and with perseverance and hard work, you will make them a reality. Embrace the unknown with open arms, for it is in the realm of the unfamiliar that you will find the greatest opportunities for growth.

Remember to stay true to your values and never compromise your integrity. Be kind to others, for compassion has the power to change lives. Embrace diversity and seek to understand different perspectives. The world is vast and full of wonders, waiting for you to explore and make a positive impact.

– Rebecca Evans, Acting Head

he learnt from cycling around the world, and it was interesting to hear how these, combined with the results of his survey where he asked hundreds of colleagues, contacts, and friends for the three most important life lessons they wished they’d known when they were in school, aligned so well with the values we hope to instil in our pupils.

We gather to share the culmination of dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment that has propelled your children to achieve extraordinary things this year.

True greatness resides not in our external circumstances, but in the depths of our character and the limitless potential of our human spirit.

– Rebecca Evans, Acting Head

LOWER SCHOOL

Pioneers

It is always bittersweet when we bid farewell to our Upper Sixth leavers each year, and this year was no exception. As we watched our Upper Sixth leave, we waved them off whilst fondly reminiscing on their inaugural first year in Lower School.

Many of the Upper Sixth who left St John’s this summer joined as the first cohort of Lower School when it opened on 6 September 2016. This made them the first of St John’s youngest pupils since the School was founded in 1851. With blazers down to their knees and backpacks as big as them, they were quick to charm staff with their cheeky senses of humour and excitable energy.

To mark their seven years as part of the St John’s community, we welcomed pupils and their families to attend

a celebratory Lower School Pioneers afternoon tea in March before their study leave began. It was fantastic to hear pupils share their favourite memories of their time in Lower School and to recognise their pride in being an important part of St John’s history.

We were overjoyed to welcome back a number of original staff as part of the celebrations, including the first Lower School Matron, who was a fantastic support to everybody during the first years of Lower School.

When asking pupils their favourite memories of Lower School the most common answer, and the most important thing they remember, were the biscuits that Matron gave us at the end of the day. As we entered the Senior School house system, we found familiarity with that. Like in Lower School, Matron is still the person who chases us to move our stinking games kit and to clear out our lockers.

– Daisy, School Captain

In the last seven years, we have seen the Lower School grow even more, and the original ethos of embracing opportunity and being kind to one another is still as relevant today as it was when the Lower School first opened. The Lower School pupils in Upper Sixth are everything we hoped and encouraged them to be, and we are incredibly proud of them as they go out into the world with high hopes for their bright futures.

– Richard Harvey, Head of Lower School

It's really great to be able to celebrate and remember our time as the first Lower School cohort. We wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on how historic this group of people is and enjoy looking back at some photos and sharing memories. For us both, going from the very youngest in the School to leading the pupil body this year has been very special, and the rest of the School community have enjoyed watching our year group grow and mature.

– Jacob, School Captain

We hope that our Lower School Pioneers will always be rightly proud of their heritage as the inaugural cohort who were bold, brave, and big-hearted throughout their seven years at St John’s, paving the way for many future generations.

PIONEERS

Our first Lower School Photo, September 2016

Lower School pupils with Matron, 2016

Lower School Photo, 2023

Exceptional Results

ST JOHN’S CLASS OF 2023 HAS PLENTY TO CELEBRATE

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

St John’s prides itself on supporting and nurturing every pupil’s potential throughout their entire journey, from 11 right through to 18, and all the pupils in this year group exceeded or fulfilled expectations. They should be commended for their resilience and strength.

Rebecca Evans, Acting Head, said: “I am very proud of this cohort. They have overcome unexpected challenges, been committed to their studies, demonstrated great adaptability over the last few years, achieved excellent success in sport and the performing arts and shown a genuine desire to give back and make a difference within the local community.

Amongst them there are some incredible stories of pupils who have worked hard and thrived despite personal challenges. Exceeding all expectations, they will now continue their journey confident of their ability to navigate whatever may lie ahead.

They all leave us as resilient, optimistic, emotionally intelligent young adults, ready to seize all the exciting opportunities ahead of them.”

On receiving A*, A, A, confirming her place at Bristol University, a pupil commented:

After what felt like the longest and most difficult two years of my life, it all turned out to be worth every second. I am sad the St John’s journey is over, but immensely grateful for the opportunities and experiences I was given.

After receiving A*, A, B, confirming his place at Exeter University another pupil said, “I’m delighted to be taking home an A* in politics. Whilst it wasn’t an easy journey, it was certainly worthwhile seeing the hard work and dedication pay off.”

The vast majority of leavers will be moving on to their first-choice university but wherever they head next, they will always be part of St John’s as much-loved members of the OJ community. We wish them every success for the future.

GCSE SUCCESS FOR ST JOHN’S SCHOOL PUPILS IN 2023

The 2023 cohort of St John’s Upper Fifth are celebrating GCSE success this summer with three-quarters of all grades awarded 9-7 (A*-A) grades. It is particularly impressive that of the compulsory subjects, 91% of all English Language grades, 87% of all English Literature grades and 80% of all Mathematics grades were awarded 9-7. This year group overcame much disruption due to the pandemic and should be commended for their resilience and strength. Alex Tate, who was previously Deputy Head at St John’s from 2014 to 2017, has returned to St John’s as the new Head. He said:

I’m proud of this year group who showed great determination and a really positive attitude throughout the last two years to fulfil their potential. I’d like to thank the staff who always go above and beyond to support and encourage every pupil.

They are now ready to embrace the exciting challenge of A levels and the many opportunities on offer outside the classroom, including building on their already excellent success in sport and the performing arts.

The Sixth Form at St John’s is an ambitious and creative environment. The pupils have already completed workshops and an introduction to their A level subjects in preparation for this exciting next chapter and we look forward to welcoming them back, along with new joiners, in September.

This year in Lower School

Afterfive years as Head of Lower School, I continue to be impressed by the sheer amount and variety of activities and achievements that they have managed to achieve, and I am incredibly proud of them all.

On a personal note, I would like to thank pupils and parents for continuing to support the Lower School and it is with a sense of genuine pride and satisfaction that I look back on everything that the pupils have achieved.

Reflecting on this year, whilst I never lose sight of how our pupils have embraced kindness, I was delighted that of the staggering 12,400 credits earned this year, many of them were for kindness. told the Lower School in their first assembly that whilst was, of course, interested in what they achieved in and out of the classroom, the most important thing is that they are kind.

The tutor team have, once again, worked tirelessly to support the pupils and am hugely grateful for all the extra hours that they give to the pupils to make sure they are happy and able to fulfil their potential.

My thanks go to Mr Helliwell and Miss Ball, who have been incredible Heads of Year, and I know they would like to echo my thanks to their respective tutor teams. We

are sad to be saying goodbye to Mr Burrow, Miss Knight, and Miss Mayes who are moving on to new challenges in the School, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish them every success. Last, but by no means least, I would like to thank Janet, our wonderful Matron who has cared for our Lower School community with such kindness – we are very lucky to have her.

I am extremely proud of each and every one of the Lower School pupils and all they have achieved this year. To the Upper Thirds, I know that they will be a credit to the Houses they will be moving on to and I hope that they will come back and see us from time to time. I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish during the next five years.

From the Head of Lower Third – Emily Ball

Well, what a tremendous year the Lower Third have had! It certainly is a huge transition to secondary school and inevitably change comes with its challenges. The Lower Third have embraced life in Lower School and have now settled into St John’s so well, I bet Bentley Copse is now but a distant memory (and a rainy one!).

Reflecting on the year’s achievements it would be an understatement to say that they have achieved an awful lot. The pupils have exceeded expectations across the board: in sport, drama, music, and in the classroom, not to mention contributions to House events,

the enrichment programme, and school-wide initiatives like the Pupil Parliament to name but a few. I am very proud of every single one of the Lower Third for all their personal successes over the academic year, and the Lower School Speech Day showcased just a snapshot of their collective brilliance.

It has been a pleasure to get to know all 101 of the Lower Third over the course of the year, which I must say has absolutely flown by, as I am sure you will agree, and I look forward to spending more time next year with them. In September they will return as Upper Third pupils and therefore role models to the new incoming Lower Thirds. I am confident that they will lead by example, after all, they can all remember what it was like to be the little fish in a big pond if they cast their minds back to September 2022, with their big backpacks, oversized blazers, and freshly printed timetables in hand (now lost!).

The theme of kindness has pervaded the assemblies this year and has been the School-wide focus and I am pleased to report that the Lower Third are known for their politeness, respect and kindliness by all their teachers and older year groups.

I look forward to welcoming them back in September, when Mr Harvey (and Woody), myself, and lovely matron, Janet, will be welcoming them back with open arms.

From the Head of Upper Third – Tom Helliwell

After two years in the Lower School, it is now time for the Upper Third to move up to their new houses in the Senior School. When looking back and reflecting on the past two years, it is clear quite how much they have crammed into their time in Lower School.

We started, of course, with two days in High Ashurst; it now seems so long ago when 92 fresh-faced 11-year-olds nervously made their way onto minibuses after a couple of days of introductions. How times have changed – confidence is certainly not something they lack anymore! It is easy just to focus on the trips away as focal points of the year, with both the recent trip to Portland, Dorset, and the girls hockey tour to Holland

being obvious highlights. However, if you ask the pupils, it is often the little things they remember, such as singing on the coaches to a fixture, scoring a wonder goal, or surviving a Chapel service without being asked a question by the Chaplain. There are, of course, major events to celebrate too – I am, for example, continually impressed by the standard of music and drama on show, evidenced further by the raft of ABRSM and LAMDA certificates handed out by Mr Harvey at the end of term.

Whilst it is reasonable to acknowledge that some of the U13A teams in sports have had a tough couple of years, it has been good for the U13A footballers to taste some success with a strong cup run this season. I hope it serves as inspiration for others in the years to come!

It was brilliant to be able to celebrate their success at the Lower School prizegiving. Engagement prizes are

always a real moment of satisfaction for me, where we are able to take a moment to recognise those pupils who consistently go above and beyond in order to make the most of the opportunities available to them.

I hope that the whole year group sees that the responsibility lies with them to show new pupils that it is this attitude that really makes a St John's pupil.

Finally, as we wish the Upper Third good luck as they move into Fourth Form, I would like to thank Janet once again for her continual support. She is a constant presence for the pupils and so much more than simply the finder of lost socks!

From the Head of Lower School – Richard Harvey

LOWER SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

LOWER SCHOOL

I can’t believe that I am already at the end of my first full year at St John’s. It feels like only yesterday when joined the Lower Third. At that time, I was quite nervous because there was nobody from my previous school going to St John’s and I was keen to make new friends and meet new people.

Something that really helped me meet new people was the induction day we had just before we joined in September. We were able to meet our new tutor groups and tutors before we started and get to know them so that we weren’t completely on our own at the start of our first term. was lucky enough to get, in my opinion, the best tutor Mr Marshall (Mr Harvey has asked me to reiterate that is only my opinion!). This really helped and we all had a really great time chatting about our summer and sharing funny stories.

We were then put into our houses, and was thrilled to follow in my brother’s footsteps and be assigned to Red House. I soon found out how amazing and supportive the House community is, and I immediately felt at ease. It was also a great opportunity to mix with the Upper Thirds and get to know them and what life at St John’s is really like.

So, to conclude, if was going to send a letter to my younger self before she chose a secondary school, what would I say? I would say that St John’s is definitely a great choice as it is such a fun, happy place where its pupils are challenged and can flourish in a kind and nurturing environment. To me this is what sets St John’s apart from other schools and makes it a great place to grow.

Annabel, Lower Third

It was a pretty easy transition going from primary to secondary school, but it felt a little strange going from being the biggest fish to the smallest fish again in a matter of weeks. It felt like I was back in reception!

In our very first week we went to Bentley Copse Activity Centre, as a way of getting to know each other and working together. Some of the activities we did, included rock climbing, orienteering, abseiling and Miss Bennett completely showing up my tutor group while shooting! Despite our beautiful British weather trying to ruin our trip, we still had a great time. It was a chance to bond with our tutors as well as our tutor groups and make some new friends that now all share lots of memories.

I recall that we all took part in the House Singing Competition in the first half term, undoubtedly some pupils’ worst nightmare! This was our first house activity and a chance to get to know our House Captains. This was the first of many house activities that we would all take part in and flex our brains and brawn if we chose! Some of these include sports like football and rugby but also unusual competitions like ‘the egg drop challenge’ and the annual House Pancake Race, surely a St John’s favourite. If spectating is your thing there is no pressure to get involved which makes the Lower School a happy place to be.

We also have a range of clubs and activities to choose between from boot camp fitness to the Lower School play, there is really something for everyone. We have had Enrichment Days throughout the year, like going to Portsmouth Boatyard to see the Mary Rose.

My first year at St John’s has been everything I had hoped for and more. The Lower School is such a warm place to be and all of the teachers, our lovely Matron and the Upper Thirds have made the Lower Thirds so welcome.

Finley, Lower Third

As this academic year draws to a close the Upper Third pupils have had another fun and exciting year at St John’s. This year has had many highlights too that have filled the Upper Third with new challenges and new memories that will undoubtedly be carried forward for many years to come.

Our school trip to Portland, Dorset, provided us with a nice send-off from the Lower School. We enjoyed many different activities, but my personal favourite was coasteering. The activities provided us with great new knowledge and discoveries about the countryside.

This year there have been even more House Competitions than last year; this means that there really is something for everyone. Alongside the traditional competitions, there were new competitions such as aeroplane making, and the egg drop challenge. These new activities challenged our minds in different ways and unlocked new hidden talents.

During Upper Third, we have enjoyed a fantastic range of co-curricular activities from cricket club to chess club which were a very enjoyable part of our journey. They provided a bit of respite from our normal academic lessons. They have been a great way to socialise with new people, all the while learning new and valuable techniques that we will use in the future. These activities encourage us all to try new things and to have new hobbies.

In conclusion, this year has been my favourite so far at St John’s with lots of new opportunities and unique activities. have high hopes for Fourth Form and their senior school years ahead, however, there will be certain things that will miss such as not being able to be with all of my friends in the morning in House. But most of all I will miss the teachers, Mr Helliwell, Mr Harvey, and Matron; they have helped us to become the best versions of ourselves, assisted us with being kind, and taught us empathy for one another.

Thomas, Upper Third

As always, sports played an integral part of the year for everyone in the Lower School.

In September, the much-anticipated hockey season started. Everyone got involved and we tried our best in training and in matches.

In October, many Upper Third girls departed for the Hockey Tour to Rotterdam, where we made memories for life and our days were filled with lots of fun training, exciting matches, and sightseeing.

In the Spring Term, we welcomed the netball season. Our amazing coaches helped us develop our skills and we were proud to represent St John’s in many fixtures and tournaments. Five Lower School girls represented the Surrey Netball Academy and the U12A team really stood out. Not only did they make it into the Surrey Finals, but they also secured their place as National Cup Runners Up. The U13A team’s season also ended on a high, with a pleasing and unexpected win over Epsom College, who beat our team convincingly last year.

We ended the year with a choice of either cricket or tennis. Our Astro hockey pitches were converted into tennis courts, and we enjoyed both training and fixtures in warmer weather.

Throughout the year, we were privileged to learn from highly experienced and committed coaches, which all the girls benefited from greatly. Overall, we had some wins and some losses, but we all enjoyed it as a team, no matter the result.

Emilia Burke, Upper Third

GIRLS

For me, at St John’s, sport is the highlight of my year, creating so many memories and moments that I will carry with me throughout my life. I enjoy our School sport so much as it has given me a lot of opportunities that I would never have had. One example of this is the Rosslyn Park 7s tournament, the largest rugby tournament in the world. As the last fixture of the season, this really did bring us together as a team, with many memorable matches and tries.

One important aspect of sport is passion. Every single team I have ever played in for St John’s is a team where everyone puts in maximum effort. An example of this was in all of our cricket games but especially St John’s vs Epsom with a nailbiting game coming down to the last ball for Epsom; luckily, in my opinion, to get the draw. Every one of our players demonstrated all of their talents, skills, and determination. For some players, that rivalry was the only thing on their minds for the next week, and a few couldn’t sleep!

Finally, the part that marks Lower School even greater and unique is our games lessons, with every single pupil getting a chance to participate in a wide variety of sports such as water polo, athletics, and health-related fitness as a lesson instead of just as a club after school. I found things I never

even knew I was good at such as javelin. It has really pushed me to develop my skills in something which I may not be naturally talented at but still enjoyed working as part of a team, learning new things with friends and an impressive set of sports teachers behind us pushing and encouraging us to extend our boundaries.

Harry, Upper Third

Churchill

As ever the School does not stop even in the holidays and although most of us returned in September, three of the Sixth Form had already represented the School in senior sports fixtures. Henry Brown was a member of the shooting team at Bisley, whilst Izaak Hiscock-Smith and Charlie Eisinger represented the 1st XV.

There were two new members of staff to the Churchill tutor team, Mrs Kate Johnson (Mathematics) and Mr Tom Webb (Head of Design and Engineering) who quickly slotted into life in Churchill. The focus for the first half term was the House Music Competition and despite strong suggestions from the Housemaster, the Upper Sixth ignored all guidance and chose a song few had heard before. Despite the initial struggle, the showing was much better than in previous years, with much credit going to the excellent Prefect Team led by House Captain, Joe Akhurst. Much of the early house success was in part due to Joe’s superb organisation and diligence and he has set a high bar for Henry Brown to follow in the coming year.

Whilst there was no victory in the House Music Competition, the highlight of the half term was the Concerto Competition, with 11 pupils performing supported by a professional orchestra. Churchill had two entrants: Joe White performed the first movement of Elgar’s Cello Concerto and his rendition was, in my opinion, the most moving piece of the evening and he deservedly received one of the two highly commended prizes from the judge – the internationally recognised conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren. Jacob Costard stole the show with his performance of the first movement of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and it was hardly a surprise to anyone present that Jacob won the competition.

Jacob was again involved in the Senior House Debating Competition which saw Churchill just edged out (somewhat controversially) in the semi-final. The team of Joe Akhurst, Henry Brown, Alex Kielstra, and Sam Phillips were superb throughout the competition and ably supported by floor contributions from the Sixth Form. The two social events of the term were well supported and beginning to become established although some still rang the rallying call for the Christmas pizza and movie night.

The new year saw a new tradition emerging in Churchill: House Chess. It was so popular we had to hold in-house knock-out matches to create the team. As Housemaster it was a pleasant change to remind the Sixth Form to focus on prep and not play chess during study periods. Two 3-0 victories in the early rounds were sadly not followed through, and another semi-final defeat meant the trophy cabinet remained sparsely occupied. This was all to change with the engaging documentary entered for the House Film Competition in which Churchill won Best Picture! The Summer Term was to see one final victory from the Costard brothers (Jacob and Reuben), Joe Akhurst (again) and Devan Barodia who convincingly won the House General Knowledge Competition.

We held a fantastic Quiz Night with Hawkins, which was well supported and again won by Churchill, and the Summer BBQ and Cricket Evening provided some lasting memories!

Churchill also heeded the advice for the House Pancake Race and overall came in a very pleasing second. This momentum gave us hope that we might make a late run boosted by our cultural results (if not sporting) in the House Shield. Excellent performances in swimming and water polo boosted our results further and as ever we finished a great Sports Day with an array of outstanding performances, Andrew Carello especially should be commended for his leadership and results.

Care, Commitment and Courage

We continued to embed the new house values agreed by the boys last academic year of Courage, Commitment, and Care Full and Half House Colours were awarded on this basis at the end of every term. Henry Brown was awarded Full House colours, with Freddie Lamy and Ewan Collingbourne receiving theirs in the Summer Term. In the Lower Fifth, Will Luff, Will Kuipers, and Devan Barodia all received half colours during the year and at the end of the Summer Term from the Fourth Form Casper Hunt, Luke Jeffery and Oli Rees.

Rev’d Charlie Moloney Housemaster of Churchill House

Houses

From the Housemaster

HOUSE COLOURS

From the House Captain

As we bid farewell to the 2022 academic year, it is with great pride and enthusiasm that we celebrate successes and memorable highlights that have defined Churchill’s journey throughout the past year.

The past year has been nothing short of extraordinary for Churchill, as the Churchill boys have consistently showcased their talent and determination across a wide range of house events. Particularly impressive were our achievements in cultural house competitions, where we excelled in numerous events. Churchill dominated the House General Knowledge Competition winning the coveted silver plate, made it to the semi-final of debating, secured a commendable fifth place in the House Singing Competition, and achieved a resounding victory in the House Film Competition. On the sporting front, our achievements were equally noteworthy, as, inter alia, we made it to the football finals. In minor sporting events, we proved our versatility by securing second place in water polo

and an impressive third place in shooting. Churchill's track record of achievements in house events stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment and support shown by our dedicated Churchillians.

Beyond the classroom, many Churchillians have made their mark in their extracurricular activities with remarkable success. Within the CCF several pupils have seen promotions, with an additional two becoming heads of their respective sections. On the musical side, many musicians in Churchill have also performed in lunchtime recitals across the year as well as in the Michaelmas Concert at Leatherhead Theatre and the later ‘Yes Sir, Can Boogie’ performance.

Churchill

With the passing of the academic year, we also had to say a bittersweet farewell to our beloved matron Suzanne. With her unwavering dedication and delightful sense of humour, Suzanne has been a cornerstone of support in Churchill over the past year. As we bid her farewell, her departure marks the end of an era, and we will undoubtedly miss her presence as we embark on the journey into the next academic year and beyond. As we reflect on the year's achievements, our heartfelt gratitude goes out to Suzanne for her tireless efforts in making Churchill not only a brighter house, but also a place where pupils felt truly cared for and supported in every aspect of school life.

As we bid a heartfelt farewell to the Upper Sixth, we thank all of Churchill for the incredible achievements they’ve made. The successes and memories created in the past year have shaped Churchill both as a house and a community and we expect to see even greater success in the next year. The successes and cherished memories created in the past year have not only left an indelible mark on Churchill House but have also strengthened our sense of community. As we bid adieu, we eagerly anticipate even greater triumphs in the forthcoming academic year.

Churchill Sixth Form Pupils

From the Housemaster

Five years ago, I joined East House with a bunch of Fourth Formers who included, for the first time ever, pupils who had come through our Lower School. East had ceded half of its square footage to this new venture and the lack of space was causing consternation and resentment amongst pupils and parents alike. My line then and my line now is that it is the people who make the House and not the bricks, mortar, and peeling paint around us. When you go back to revisit old haunts, the building might look the same but there is always something missing now that your mates are not around the corner.

For those Fourth Formers who are now departing the Upper Sixth, East will not be the same without Tom Ibeson’s variety of meats and fish flavouring his room, without Miles padding around barefoot and shedding hair in the shower, without Buster and Joe giggling in the corner, and without Ryder and Tom Dolphin still in bed. What they will leave behind, though, is a fresher identity moulded by their dedication to the House, their support of one another, and their sense of service. That so many of them have leading roles in the CCF and voluntarily attend extra camps speaks volumes for their humility and desire to give back and this has been seen in spades over the years with contributions to house events, delivering house assemblies, and certainly this year in putting on a memorable celebration dinner in aid of the Blue Ribbon Foundation. They have lived through many good times together – not least House Rugby and House Football victories – and, significantly, many tough times too. What has struck me is how honest and open they have been through these tough times, happy to show vulnerability, to cry, to share, and to reach out to one another. This will bond them for years to come and is all that is good about living together in a boarding house. I hope, as much as the sense of fun and the academic endeavour, that this will be their legacy to the East boys coming through.

And the younger years have already started to take on these traits with everyone desperate to help the House in all sorts of events and with increasing charity work. Having Cooper and Tom J spend all day on the Christmas Fair stall was heartwarming if not hand-warming and a big highlight had to be the Lower Sixth Everest Challenge. This saw the boys ascend and descend the East staircase 1,205 times over the course of twelve hours, working as a team, sweating, and swearing! Their perseverance paid off with a real sense of satisfaction and the money raised here, together with the celebration dinner, meant that we could donate around £4,000 to the Blue Ribbon Foundation, on top of over £1,000 donated from Movember. This was a fantastic effort and will be a target to beat next year as we continue to promote our responsibility to others less fortunate than us.

The boys’ engagement, exploration, and energy have also driven us to many victories and fine results in house events again this year. We won’t mention Ollie Mardon’s penalties in the senior competition but finally we saw a win from the Upper Fifth in the football. Then other sporting success was found in cricket

with George Sharman striking the winning runs for our fourth consecutive title; in retaining our dodgeball crown; rowing, shooting, and Fourth Form tennis. In cultural pursuits, we claimed a win in House Drill and, as ever, James Geater and Max Lawes were outstanding in the House Debating Competition. We narrowly lost in the final of House General Knowledge and Will Lynn was a close second in the Shakespeare soliloquies with a fine rendition of Macbeth’s dagger speech. House events are due to expand again next year, and I am sure that pulling on the green and black will continue to bring pride. It is important to build this sense of belonging, sense of mutual purpose, and community and I thank all of the boys for their support and enthusiasm.

So, five years on and have we moved forward? Well, boarding popularity seems to be growing and we welcome more and more from day houses who want to share the East experience. The House feels kinder and united and, following the hiatus brought about by Covid, the place feels full of life. We have managed to gain some rooms for East and a rolling programme of refurbishment is promised to make the spaces modern and bright. But whatever space we are in, we will follow the outgoing Upper Sixth’s lead and not least that of House Captain, Luc Gamber who, in attaining his place at Oxford University, has shown that graft can be married with fun and that consistent engagement is both effective and rewarding. We will look after one another, explore our potential, and see and make the most of all of the opportunities we have. Thank you, as ever, to all of the parents, tutors and Jill for their support of the boys and the House and we will look forward to what next year holds.

Guy Hicks Housemaster of East House

East has been my home for the last five years of my life. In that time, there are things that have undoubtedly changed: teachers have come and gone and of course the pupils have too. And yet it’s still the same landing we used to throw fruit at each other on in the Fourth Form; the same TV room which has housed three table tennis tables in five years and the piano which has endured five years of clanging from various East boarders with the occasional recognisable tune when Miles finally mastered a piece. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, not setting foot in East during the Upper Fifth due to Covid and even though we were back last year, it was rusty, things weren’t quite back to whatever ‘normal’ was for us. But this year, East was truly back, and as House Captain I have seen everyone become a part of East’s family, whether in boarding, house assembly or even in the House Singing Competition Unison during which we manged to get the lower years to begrudgingly sing – and even dance – to One Direction.

The greatest thing about East for me is our sense of unity. Everyone takes part in everything from general knowledge to House Drill; this was best seen when the entire Lower Fifth year group went to listen to and support Miss Westall during her library speech. East feels comfortable and more like a second home rather than just somewhere to put my books.

In our House Chapel this year, Rev Moloney mentioned the reputation which East has, and to some extent he’s right. We regularly burn toast, we enjoy a sense of freedom, and we most definitely don’t get the same number of credits as Gloucester; but we are hugely united. We compete across the board, not just in sport which everyone is usually up for but in all things co-curricular and, with any luck, we will come out with some strong grades at the end of it all.

We were devastated by the cancellation of House Rugby due to bad weather, robbing us of at least two victories in the winter but there have been many moments of pride, notably placing second in part song, beaten only by South. The hard work of both Miles McHugh and Max Gray was made even more impressive by the poor array of singers at our disposal, such as myself.

Furthermore, there was success in House Football with every year group getting to the semi-finals and the Upper Fifth leading the way by winning the whole competition. Our commitment to CCF is second to none, with service being important to us, and the CCF Inspection Day was a bumper event as we walked away as House Drill and shooting champions. We have relished in further victories including House Golf and House Dodgeball.

Outside of house competitions, it was the East House Charity Night which was the high point of our year for me. The Sixth Form hosted the night, the Fourth and Fifth Forms helped with the serving of the meal itself and who can forget Tom Iles walking around showing off the new East House pyjamas to the parents. The night was a tremendous success and we managed to raise a fantastic amount for the Blue Ribbon Foundation.

As for my own highlights of my time in East, the standout will always be winning House Rugby in the Fourth Form; it was the last time it was contact, and the spirit shown by all of the older boys in East cheering from the sides and running on to celebrate played a massive role in making me feel at home. Another key part of my life in East has been boarding. The connection between you and those you board with, be it your year, those in the years above or below and even the teachers, is incomparable. And whilst I may have been half asleep for many Friday morning lessons, this was a trade well worth making.

Finally, East Upper Sixth and I would like to thank all of those lucky enough to tutor us during our time in East, especially Mr Wallace, Mr Metcalfe, and Mr Morgan (who nearly lost his place in my list when he left for Surrey). And most importantly the three people who have been here since the beginning: Mr Sartorius, who had to put up with the racket we made every Thursday in the Fourth Form; Mr Hicks, who has always had time to give us advice and has managed to mould us into somewhat respectful young men; and most importantly, Jill. She is never praised enough for what she does, whether it is lost items, waking us up in the morning or endlessly supplying us with more toast. She makes the House tick, and we would truly be lost without her.

East has had such an impact on my life and all of rest of the Upper Sixth who are leaving this year and have no doubt all of us lucky enough to be a part of the East family will treasure the memories made over the past five years, and we hope that all of those who leave East in the future will be able to say the same.

Luc Gamber

East House Captain 2022-2023

From the House Captain

NUMBER OF PUPILS

HOUSE COLOURS

Gloucester

Before starting the role as Housemistress of Gloucester this year, I received numerous pieces of advice and ‘how-to’s’. But the advice that stuck with me was from Mr Bawden, a teacher in the Mathematics Department and ex-headmaster. He said “ Love every minute, it is the best job in the world ”, and how right he was. I have enjoyed every minute in Gloucester this year and it has been such a wonderful year for the House. Every individual has enjoyed success, whether that was in the classroom, on the stage or on the sports pitches, and the pride I have for each and every one of them is insurmountable.

Looking back to the start of the year, I set the girls a mission: to seek opportunities where they can push themselves, and, mainly, to be kind. I can safely say that this year I have witnessed both of those things in abundance. Overall, the House has achieved over 700 kindness credits, and whilst not all acts of kindness can be captured in credit, it does showcase the volume of kindness existing within our four walls.

House competitions have been overwhelmed with volunteers and it has been wonderful to see so many memories and friendships made through their participation in house events. There have been so many highlights, too many to list, but the House Singing Competition will always hold such a dear place in my heart. Seeing the girls with their pink and blue ribbons, rapping down the aisle of the Chapel and holding their umbrellas high was truly special, though I am not sure I will ever listen to Rihanna in the same way again!

Strengths

Kindness | Community | Determination | Positivity | Loyalty | Courage

I am sure it is fair to say that House Debating brought out a new side of competitiveness that I have not seen in myself before, but my gosh the girls were impressive! Hours of preparations from the girls across five year groups resulted in three finals for Gloucester and two overall wins! I was also particularly proud of Annabel Cooke and Hannah Banks, who swam a four-part relay as a two when others in Gloucester were unavailable. Whilst winning is wonderful, taking part with heart and grit, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is far more impressive. I am immensely proud of the girls’ character when they win with humility and handle disappointment with resilience and positivity.

My first House Charity Night in Gloucester was another highlight of the year and truly showcased the vast array

of talent we have in Gloucester. The performances throughout the night were incredible, and I would like to thank all of the girls and parents who were involved in the event. Watching the girls pull together to create a wonderful event, full of pink and blue, and raising a significant amount of money for our two charities was truly memorable. I think I’d rather like to forget the rap at the start though!

All 81 girls make Gloucester special, and therefore would like to avoid naming individuals. However, I must thank our wonderful House Captain, Eloise (Weesie) and our fantastic Deputy House Captain Cesca. The support they have given to Jennie and me over this year has been exceptional. They have truly led from the front and are fantastic role models for the younger years. The Gloucester girls will remember you for many years to come. The entire Upper Sixth have been truly selfless from day one, participating in House Cross Country in the freezing cold and supporting the younger years in their events; thank you, you will be truly missed. You are always welcome back to the Gloucester foyer!

I am immensely proud of all of the girls in Gloucester, and I am delighted that they all seem so at home in House. From the daily chats in the Gloucester office to waving the Gloucester flag high at events or watching them recreate various Just Dance videos, the girls never fail to bring a smile to my face. Whilst I have the ultimate fortune of leading the House, I could

not do it without a wonderful team behind me. I would like to thank our terrific tutor team for guiding the girls through this year, Miss Mansfield, Kayla, and Rosie our wonderful cleaners, and of course Jennie, who always has the girls at the forefront of her mind. It has been such a fantastic year for Gloucester, and I cannot wait to see what 2023/2024 has in store; the future is bright!

Hannah Rowell Housemistress of Gloucester House

What is so special about Gloucester is the selflessness, enthusiasm, and loyalty that the pupils

embody daily.

Houses

From the Housemistress

Competitions

WON THIS YEAR:

House Debating (Inters and Juniors)

House Cross Country House Netball

House Soliloquy (Seniors and Inters)

NUMBER OF PUPILS

From the House Captain

What an amazing five years in Gloucester it has been, and I can’t believe it has all come to an end for me! My time in this House has been beyond anything I could have imagined, and I am going to thoroughly miss it.

From day one I was welcomed with open arms and shown a way in which I could achieve anything I put my mind to, whether it was in academics or in any House event (my favourite being House Singing!). Throughout the years in Gloucester, I have made lifelong friends and learnt lifelong lessons which know I will remember all through my life.

One of these lessons I learnt was during Covid-19 when all of the year groups were in classrooms and not allowed in houses. Although for me, as a flexi-border, this was very sad, I learnt that Gloucester was not just the physical building we would sit in every day, but it was the people! As I sat in tutor time, I realised that Gloucester is not like any other House. Even if the people may be very different to one another, we are constantly kind and show support for each other through whatever happy or tough times we are facing.

Some of my favourite moments in House consist of summer boarding barbeques on the Quad, winning House Hockey twice, and Mrs Parker’s famous 24-hour challenges (especially in the Fourth Form when we all camped in the day room overnight!). However, my most proud moment would have to be the House Singing Competition this year. Having been a part of this competition since the Fourth Form and finally being able to run it in the Upper Sixth was very special to me. Adding on seeing the Gloucester girls who took part, singing, having fun, and doing what they love, as well as doing it for the House was far more important to me than winning, and I feel I achieved exactly what I wanted to when I set out, which was just to have fun!

Being given the role of House Captain this year was the greatest honour, as I would always look up to the House Captain and wish I could be like them. I have loved every minute of being House Captain as have been able to guide, help, and look out for anyone in the House who needed it. I have also loved the opportunities it has brought me, whether it was having chats with the Lower Fifth (with the Gloucester prefect team) about how to be confident and love yourself or running House events. It has been a pleasure to serve in this role and I hope I have given the younger girls something to look up to and strive for within the House!

Although Miss Rowell only joined as Housemistress in my last year of being in Gloucester, I have loved every minute of it. Being able to support her and help her as House Captain has been very special to me, as she was my Lower School tutor and

therefore it feels like a full circle from where it started! I would like to say thank you to Miss Rowell for everything she has done whether it’s been for me, the Fourth Form, or the Sixth Form day room sofas (i.e. giving us the comfier ones!). I am so excited to see what the future for Gloucester and Miss Rowell holds, but I know it will be bright. What she has achieved in one year should give every girl a reason to want to be a part of Gloucester and be known as a Gloucester girl! I would also like to say thanks to Jennie our Matron, as every time walk into the House I am greeted with the biggest smile. Not only does she make everyone in Gloucester House laugh but the effort she puts into helping all of us is incredible, especially when it came to Gloucester House Charity Night as the Dining Hall would have not looked the same without her. wish I could say thank you to every teacher at this school for the effort they put into teaching the pupils, but my final thank you is to my tutor Miss Hardy. She always brings the calm energy and support that the Upper Sixth and I need, especially during a hectic but exciting year at St John’s, so thank you!

Although it is very sad to be leaving after seven years at St John’s, they have shaped me into the person am today and given me memories I will cherish forever, so I’m ready now to take on the next adventure and look back at this big chapter of my life with nothing but love and happiness.

Eloise Jansa Gloucester House Captain 2022-2023

GLOUCESTER

Haslewood

From the Housemistress

This academic year, the Haslewood pupils have lived up to the high expectations they set for themselves, achieving across all areas of school life, and exemplifying our house values of kindness and courage.

Interesting facts

Haslewood is named for the School’s founder, Ashby Haslewood, and it started its life in 1881 as the School’s infirmary. As such, it is set opposite the main buildings on the Quad in order to have isolated pupils ill with highly infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and influenza, from the main school.

HOUSE COLOURS

The School year began with Haslewood pupils, parents, and staff all marvelling at the refurbishment that took place over the summer of 2022, leading to the creation of refurbished day rooms for the Fourth Form and the Lower Fifth. Over the year, we have benefitted from the ways in which, by opening these spaces up and creating more light, we have encouraged greater mixing across and within year groups. Many thanks to Will Nash and James Davies in the Estates Department for their oversight and vision here, alongside Mrs Shortt (Elsa) for her artistic design expertise and guidance.

Summer 2022 also saw a number of Haslewood pupils contributing to the Community Holiday, and I am delighted that Hannah Bootle, Rhianna Douglas, Eliza Klein, Alice Nunn, and Katherine Vann will all be participating in this wonderful community service programme in summer 2023.

NUMBER OF PUPILS

In September, we welcomed ten new Fourth Form Lions and three new Lower Sixth Lions to the ‘pride’, who were all quickly integrated into house life thanks to the warmth and enthusiasm of our older Haslewood pupils as well as their tutors and our Matron Extraordinaire, Angie. We also welcomed new tutors, Mrs Underwood in Lower Fifth, and Mrs Anderson in Fourth Form.

As the Autumn Term got underway, Mrs Shortt led our Monday House Activity, where pupils built house spirit and cohesion as they decorated personal mugs, painted self-portraits, created Halloween-themed decorations to festoon the House, and then created Christmas themed decorations for our festive period. In the Spring Term, Mrs Shortt introduced our lucky Lions to textiles as they created a tapestry inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem, The Summer Day Our sincere thanks, Mrs Shortt, for the time and inspiration you gave us this year.

Whether in performing arts, academic realms, or on the pitches, I couldn’t be prouder of the girls’ determination, joie-de-vivre, and commitment to Haslewood. My first special mention must go to Hannah Bootle, whose daily commitment to Haslewood meant that she knew all of the Fourth Form by the end of their first week in House. Hannah also delighted us all with a series of daily naughty house elf installations that kept us all laughing and guessing as to the mystery elf’s identity throughout the festive season. For her leadership and diligence throughout the year in House, I was pleased to award Hannah the Hamilton Cup. Another special mention goes to Tabby Russell for her tireless

leadership on House Charity. Here, Tabby was proactive in liaising with our chosen charity, Momentum. This was our first year partnering with Surrey House on charity night, and based on parent and pupil reviews, the Casino Royale themed House Charity Night that Tabby, Haslewood, and Surrey put together was a smashing success. Overall, this year, we raised over £7,000 for Momentum, which is a phenomenal amount, thanks to the generosity of our parents, many of whom donated generous raffle or auction gifts to support the night. Special thanks to Mrs Jacqui Stewart (Molly), who ran the London Marathon in April 2023 to support Momentum, and thanks as well to Mrs Julie-Anne Atkins, for raising a tidy sum for Momentum as she led on Christmas Fair face-painting for the second year in a row.

Houses

When it comes to house competitions, playing with grit, heart, and commitment is what it’s all about. That said, we also love a victory, so I am pleased to report our wins in the following house competitions this year: Part Song for the second year in a row, senior swimming, and the hotly-contested senior Pancake Race. Special thanks go to Alice Nunn for her Part Song arrangement of How Far I’ll Go and for the countless hours she spent rehearsing with the pupils.

Congratulations must also go to Haslewood Lions for throwing themselves into all areas of wider school life via participation in school sport; academic competitions such as the Rotary Club Debate, chemistry competition, biology Olympiad, and Spanish debate; and the performing arts, where a number of Lions played roles in both the Senior School play and/or the School Musical, Sweeney Todd. We also were the House to earn the greatest number of credits this year – many thanks to our ‘small but mighty’ Fourth Form for leading the charges here. was so pleased and proud Haslewood’s efforts and excellence were rewarded by our winning of the Academic Cup for 2022-2023.

Recognitions

ASHBY CUP FOR LEADERSHIP AND VALUES IN UPPER FIFTH

Violet Blumire

HAMILTON CUP FOR LEADERSHIP AND VALUES IN UPPER SIXTH

Hannah Bootle

HAMILTON CUP FOR LEADERSHIP AND VALUES IN UPPER SIXTH

Chloe Currie

Kindness and courage

Finally, a huge ‘Haslewood Holla’ to our Upper Sixth Leavers, especially our House Co-Captains, Chloe Currie and Molly Wolff, who have been wonderful role models to the younger girls. Both Chloe and Molly also leave Haslewood a legacy of positive leadership and kindness. Congratulations as well to Chloe and Molly for their wider school accomplishments: Chloe, for earning the Billy Rivers Cup and the Smallbone Cup for Kindness, and Molly for earning her 100 caps for representing St John’s in over 100 first team fixtures.

A fond farewell and thank you to Mr Thomas, who leaves Haslewood to become Assistant Head (Sixth Form) and to Mr de la Hoz, who leaves St John’s to teach in Singapore. And, of course, all my very best to our twelve leavers. To paraphrase our winning Part Song, no one knows how far you’ll go, but I look forward to following your assuredly bright futures with greatest interest and pride. Please come back and visit!

Liz Pritchett

Housemistress of Haslewood House

From the House Captains

What a year it’s been for Haslewood! We have a string of successes to report, but more than that, Haslewood continues to fly the flag for being one of the kindest, most creative, and enthusiastic houses at St John’s. Our motto: ‘Have courage and be kind in the futures we may find’ is held close to our hearts, and we applaud our wonderful lions every day.

Strengths

We constantly marvel at the range of talents in the House and this, coupled with our unfailing energy and competitiveness, has resulted in us celebrating wins in House Part Song and Senior House Netball. This year we performed ‘How Far I’ll Go’ from Moana, conducted by the amazing Alice Nunn. The hours of rehearsal and dedication to the competition paid off and the teamwork and drive the pupils had to succeed was amazing to be a part of.

Academically, we celebrate the fact that we were the only house with no academic concerns in a half term. Our debating teams and skills continued to fly as we put in a sterling performance in the House Debating Competition and battled hard in our final round to lose by just one point.

In December, Dr Pritchett was particularly excited to get her ice skates out for the highly popular trip to Hampton Court Palace, and to show us how it’s done. We have enjoyed our cross-year pizza and quiz nights, and our Casino Royale themed Charity Night was a resounding

success, raising over £7,000 for our charity, Momentum. As always, there were smiles all around on this very special night from both parents and pupils. The teamwork from the whole house to put on a show and display our array of talents was done exceptionally well. Special shoutouts to Esther and Tajah for their mind-blowing musical performances. Of course, many thanks go to our generous Surrey and Haslewood parents for helping to make our first partnered charity night such a success.

Haslewood fielded a strong team in the House Water Polo event, battled hard in the House CrossFit Competition, and the Lower Sixth made an outstanding contribution to our House Film Competition entry.

We are super proud of the Haslewood girls who performed in the stunning production of Sweeney Todd and our actors, dancers, and musicians who regularly featured in lunchtime concerts and performances. Annabel Millar is a standout Lion for getting a distinction in her Grade 8 Musical Theatre examination as well as performing as a lead in the musical. Special mention must also be given to India Cole and Darcy Turner, whose leadership as stage managers of the production was kind, calm, and collected, earning plaudits from the entire performing arts staff team.

We are a kind, fun-loving, but also highly efficacious and aspirational house. We set our sights unapologetically high and support each other to achieve our personal bests, even as we embrace potential failure as a chance to learn and grow.

Our year could not have been what it was without the guidance and tips from our Head Lion, Dr. P, and our wonderful Matron, Angie. Thank you for helping us through our time at St John’s and encouraging us to be the best we can be. Without you, Haslewood would not be the warm and welcoming place it is. To the lovely Prefect Team, thank you for always listening to Chloe and me as your Co-Captains, and offering a helping hand whenever we needed it. It has been a real privilege to finish off our time in Haslewood with you by our side. Finally, to the Haslewood girls, thank you for the belly laughs, friendship, and support you have given us throughout the year – it really doesn’t go unnoticed.

It has been an honour to be co-captains of Haslewood. We are now looking forward to the Leavers’ Ball and summer! Fly high, Lions –stay kind and courageous, knowing that the Double Blues have got your back.

Chloe Currie and Molly Wolff Gloucester House Co-Captains 2022-2023

HASLEWOOD

Houses Hawkins

Hawkins has now been open for four years and is no longer thought of as the new house. We have much to be proud of and celebrate. Hawkins House is a ‘small but mighty’ House where the Hawkins girls strive to make it a warm, caring, and happy environment. Our mascot is an elephant, we like to think of ourselves as a herd who help each other like a family, by extending our kindness to one another, showing strength together, and having the ability to overcome obstacles in our way. Hawkins has certainly been noted for the community spirit the pupils show and for being a very smartly dressed house.

This year, we welcomed two new tutors: the very knowledgeable Head of Economics, Mr Christian, and our bubbly Assistant Housemistress Miss Pugh, both excellent additions to the House. Sadly, our lovely Matron Suzanne Gaines leaves us this year to begin teacher training in September to become a French teacher. The pupils will hugely miss Suzanne, but we wish her well with her new adventure.

Another excellent year group joined us in the Fourth Form with five new joiners. They have contributed to our excellent academic profile receiving many academic credits, engagement prizes, and Senior Management commendations for outstanding achievements. Alice Goodchild joined in the Lower Sixth this year and has been an exceptional addition to Hawkins. Hawkins did very well with School Prefect appointments. Jorja Chadwick, Alice Goodchild, and Sofia Harding will be representing Hawkins as School Prefects and I know they will do us proud. House Captain next year is JJ Fitzpatrick and Deputy House Captain is Jessica Parker.

This year’s Upper Sixth have been the most confident leaders Hawkins has had the privilege of experiencing so far and they shall be hugely missed next year. Mia Morris and Lizzie Pryor have done outstanding jobs leading the House as House Captain and Deputy House Captain. We have our first successful Oxford candidate since opening, Mia Morris. Alex Koep, also a School Prefect, has been awarded a scholarship to the University of Connecticut in America and a place at UCLA. These pupils have set the bar high and left fine leadership standards to be followed. Gemma Robins, Alex Koep, and Lucie Tinkler have been very reliable and committed House Prefects this year. This group of fine young women shall be truly missed.

The Prefect Team along with some Lower Sixth pupils have made house activity on Mondays a worthwhile experience and a bonding opportunity.

Hawkins’ Christmas Fair stall was one that could not be missed.

Very kindly, the Harding family transformed our stall into a large gingerbread house! We sold handmade Christmas trees and handmade gifts that the Hawkins’ pupils had made. Thanks to Anna White’s family we were also able to sell soft toys and books, a very profitable day for our House Charity and

great fun was had by all. This year the pupils voted to support FND (Functional Neurological Disorder), and Sofia Harding took the lead on organising our House Charity Night and did an incredible job. Our target was £3,000 and we raised an impressive £4,186. We have many musical talents within the House. Stella Park and Matilda Clark performed a beautiful duet on the violin while Mia Morris, Jaimee Burrage, and Lizzie Pryor sang for the audience. Charity is something we highly value in Hawkins House.

Hawkins made significant contributions to this years’ School Musical, Sweeney Todd, at the Leatherhead Theatre. Emilija Harman and Ella Parfitt shared a key role in playing the character, Joanna. JJ Fitzpatrick, Matilda Clark, Phoebe Bray, Lilah Hauxwell, and Allegra Hinton were wonderful as part of the ensemble.

During the Summer Term, Hawkins had much to celebrate again. Hawkins worked extremely diligently whilst practising their drill skills for the CCF Inspection Day. We placed fourth and JJ Fitzpatrick won the shooting competition. House Golf went well with Nina Perrott coming third and beating many of the male golfers. Hawkins managed to make it to the semifinals of the General Knowledge Quiz and House Croquet Competition. We came second at Sports Day and the Lower Sixth won their age group.

It has been another very positive and exciting year in Hawkins. am very much looking forward to seeing what Hawkins House can achieve next year as we will also be increasing in size quite a bit and functioning at full capacity. However, since opening in 2019, Hawkins has quickly established itself as a very successful girls’ day House worth joining.

From the Housemistress

Andrea Davies Housemistress of Hawkins House

From the House Captain It has been an absolute privilege to be House Captain this past academic year and to be able to help lead Hawkins House in another successful year. What makes Hawkins stand out is the sense of community and compassion throughout the House and the team spirit within house events.

Throughout the year I have been both proud of the girls collectively and as individuals. At the start of the year, we welcomed the new Fourth Form, and it’s been a pleasure to watch them grow and get involved in all the house events. Collectively, the girls have combined their talents and determination in house events, whether it’s sports or academics. We have been successful in a myriad of house events including House Rowing, House CrossFit, House Water Polo, and House Junior Cross Country where we successfully came first. Overall, one of the key themes that is consistent throughout Hawkins is the sense of house spirit and determination.

The talent of girls within Hawkins was also shown in our House Charity Night where, along with Churchill, we supported FND and Prostate Cancer charities. This was a wonderful evening where we raised lots of money and there was a range of entertainment from vocals to violin. The charitable nature of Hawkins can also be shown through the House Cake Sale that supported the Charity Refuge. Not only were the cakes delicious, but they also raised money for an important cause, along with our House Picnic that brought the entire Hawkins community together.

Another highlight of the year was the Part Song competition, and I was delighted by the standard of our performance with our rendition of Grease, You’re The One That I Want, which reflected the hard work and dedication during both lunchtime and evening rehearsals. It was also amazing to see the entire house come together to sing, Never Gonna Give You Up Although this may have been slightly daunting, the enthusiasm of Hawkins shone through, and I hope next year this will continue.

Academically we have been able to excel as a house and have consistently been leading with our credits. This is shown through the support that is given throughout all year groups. Whether it is the Sixth Form helping the younger girls with their homework or preparing for examinations, this reflects the Hawkins House spirit.

Having joined Hawkins at its inception I have watched and helped it develop as a house and witnessed our amazing community grow. I have always been very proud to be a Hawkins girl and love the warm environment that we all have created. This is what makes it even more difficult to leave.

Hawkins would not be the same without the support from the Hawkins’ staff and I would like to say a huge thank you to Miss Davies, who makes Hawkins House so special and encourages and supports us in any way she can, whether it’s pastorally or academically. It has also been a pleasure to welcome Miss Pugh as Assistant Housemistress, who has been a wonderful addition to Hawkins and always has a warm and supportive smile.

Overall, my highlights at St John’s are the house events and the support and company of both the staff and the pupils that make St John’s and Hawkins so special. In the future, I hope that Hawkins continues its strong sense of community and house spirit in many more house events at St John's. I cannot wait to see what is in store for Hawkins next year!

Mia

Morris Hawkins House Captain 2022-2023

HOUSE COLOURS

Montgomery

House has once again showcased its strong sense of community, and all 64 young men should feel immense pride in their achievements since September. The seamless integration of our new Fourth Form has been a source of delight for me. Mr Andrews and I couldn't be happier with each and every one of them and I hope that they have enjoyed their first full year being part of this special house.

Their sporting prowess shone through this year. Third place in House Water Polo was no mean feat. Sam Gordon-Powell and Aiden Moore shot to second place in the House Tennis U15B. There was a superb effort in House Debating, Sam GordonPowell and Max Brooke steamrolled through to the semi-finals and narrowly lost the top spot, they both did an incredible job! Last but not least, it was a tense House Football final with our lovely neighbours North House, narrowly beaten 2-1 by penalties. This group has proven to be the future guardians of the House, and we eagerly anticipate the arrival of the next cohort of Montgomery House pupils in September.

A definite highlight of this year was the tremendously inspiring and extraordinary House Charity Night. I was overwhelmed by the support and generosity exhibited by everyone involved. Together, we managed to raise over £3,000 for our chosen charity, CALM, an organisation dedicated to combating mental health issues and promoting wellbeing. It was truly outstanding to see numerous parents attend the event, enjoy themselves, and witness the fruits of their sons' hard work. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who played a part.

Our superb annual summer barbecue proved a delectable, relaxing, joyous sunny evening on the Quad. Montgomery and North Houses came together for a celebration and farewell to the Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth who were embarking on their imminent study leave and public examinations. Following a delicious summer spread after catching up with friends and colleagues, a competitive cricket match took hold on the Quad which certainly heightened the Grounds Team’s nerves, wincing when the balls skimmed the School windows. Luckily, the windows remained intact for another year!

On the academic front, I have been immensely impressed with the dedication and preparation displayed by the Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth pupils in anticipation of their public examinations. I sincerely hope that their hard work will yield positive results on results day – they certainly deserve it!

I want to take a moment to give a special mention and express my immense gratitude to Paula, our Matron, without whom the functioning of the House would simply not be possible. Paula's contributions have been nothing short of incredible, and words cannot adequately convey my appreciation for her tireless efforts throughout the year. The boys hold her dear, and we consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have someone who devotes so many hours to ensure the boys' happiness. Thank you, Paula!

I would like to extend my gratitude to my House Prefect Team, led brilliantly by our House Captain, Artie Wood. Kier Haldane, George Potter, Ethan Chan, Piers Brien, and Alex Bonner have all made significant contributions to Montgomery House and the School over the past five years. The Upper Sixth pupils have truly been exemplary during their time here. They have navigated circumstances that no other year group should have to face, and I have been incredibly impressed by their adaptability, resilience, and determination. Without a doubt, each one of them is destined for greatness, and I wish them the very best of luck. They will always be welcome back to Montgomery.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the entire tutor team. Rob, Anna, Hattie, Andy, Liam, and Rory have all fulfilled their roles as tutors admirably, working tirelessly to ensure that your sons make the most of their time at St John's. We bid farewell and good luck to Rory Andrews, who has been our Fourth Form tutor this year, as well as Andy Smith, our Lower Fifth tutor. Rory will be joining Cranleigh School, and Andy will be moving on to Reigate Grammar. We extend our best wishes to both of them.

David Hammond Housemaster of Montgomery House

From the Housemaster

From the House Captain

What truly makes Montgomery (Monty) a great House is its spirit. No matter the circumstances, the boys will always have each other’s back, and it’s this value the Upper Sixth have tried to demonstrate throughout our time at St John’s.

Monty House has taken part in a plethora of house events since the start of the year, with every single member taking part with pride and true passion. The year got off to an angelic start with the House Singing Competition. The Part Song featured two pillars of singing, Ben Clogston and James Hardy, singing Stand By Me. This was swiftly followed by Unison in which the Monty boys sang Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. This remarkable rendition was made even greater once the backing track cut halfway through the song, leading the boys to use their cracking initiative and make the executive decision to go acapella, truly illustrating Monty’s House spirit. Unfortunately, the judge must have been caught off guard by this sudden switch-up and forgot to place us in the top three.

On the sports scene, the Upper Sixth truly buried the hatchet on the football pitch between long-term rivals North House, sending them packing 3-0, securing a solid fifth place. The younger years proved to be more successful by getting to numerous finals, placing the House in a very strong position for the House Shield.

In January, the Upper Sixth embarked on possibly their toughest competition yet, producing a Hollywood standard film, in the space of two evenings. We succeeded with flying colours: ‘Monty Vice’ The crime action, with a sprinkle of thrill, starred Ethan Chan as ‘Don Chan’ and the dynamic duo of the phenomenal and equally hilarious ‘Mr Brien’ and ‘Bobby Buffalo’, played by Piers Brien and Archie Humphreys, who delivered a stellar acting performance and exemplified some exquisite on-screen chemistry. This overall led to the House bringing home the award for best standout acting performance for both Piers and Archie.

We held our annual House Charity Night on 21 April, for the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably, also known as CALM. This event was largely run by the Lower Sixth and was simply brilliant. From the eloquent music to the naturally superb auctioneering skills of Monte Gatta Smith, the event was a great success.

The sheer amount of effort that the staff put into the House led by Mr Hammond is greatly appreciated by the boys. Mr Hammond has been Housemaster of Monty House throughout the Upper Sixth pupils’ entirety of Senior School, and has been a phenomenal role model, encouraging the boys to aspire high and helping us achieve things we never thought we could. The House, of course, wouldn’t be standing if it wasn’t for our Matron, Paula. The support Paula has given every individual in the House is amazing, and it can’t be expressed enough how grateful we all are to have her as our Matron. The Upper Sixth moved onto their final tutor this year, after testing the likes of Mr St John and Mr Smith in previous years. Mr Ross has been brilliant, whether it’s from helping us get through the dreaded UCAS process to delivering some much-needed advice before we set off to university, he has been a fantastic asset to our time at St John’s.

Strengths

House Spirit, Loyalty, Community

Despites Covid-19’s best efforts, my time in Monty has been better than I could have ever imagined. Once I walked through the pearly white arches of Monty in September 2018 and saw the group of unique boys standing before me, I knew was in for a treat. The sheer amount of core memories made has brought me an immense amount of joy, and it’s a lovely feeling leaving St John’s knowing you’ve made some lifelong friends (and knowing there is an abundance of Monty House socials waiting around the corner). am honoured to have had the privilege of being Monty House Captain and I wish the future of Monty House the best of luck and ask that they continue to represent the House with great spirit and passion.

Artie Wood

Montgomery House Captain 2022-2023

North

Aswe round off another academic year, I appreciate this time to reflect on our year in North House. North is more than just its physical structure; it is our home away from home, a sanctuary of support and friendship. It has witnessed our triumphs, failures, and countless hours of academic work and table tennis matches. North is an intricate tapestry of diverse talents and passions in an unwavering pursuit of excellence.

Strengths

We fill every team for every house competition and table tennis.

As usual, we kick off the year with the House Singing Competition, a general weakness for North House. However, it is still one of our favourite competitions because it brings the whole House together. We had hoped the Oasis classic Don't Look Back in Anger would win over the judge. Despite the added break dance from Dan Brown, which was a huge crowd-pleaser, we still haven't placed in this competition. Our Part Song depended heavily on our three singers, with solid support backing from the rest of the Sixth Form. This part of the year remains one of the most memorable.

North did move on to celebrate successes in house competitions. The Fourth Form won football (2-1 on penalties). North also dominated in the pool, winning overall in swimming and water polo. The House also came second in two relatively new house competitions, dodgeball and badminton. This is unanimously a favourite memory of the year, as there was nearly a full house to support with songs, chants, and last-minute coaching from the Sixth Form. North also enjoyed a win in House Chess this year. There was so much interest in the game that we brought in chess sets, and the boys held an internal competition to determine our three players. Finally, we were particularly proud of our House Film this year; we came an honourable second with the North House version of Gogglebox. The Upper Fifth's take on Storage Wars was a highlight. Even the North House Bear appeared as the Fourth Form filmed a low-budget Planet Earth in the School gardens.

In the Performing Arts, North pupils were involved in the School Musical, Sweeney Todd, on stage and behind the scenes. We also had singers in the Cabaret and musicians in the Rock Concert.

The charity we supported this year was CALM. North House worked together to walk the mileage from Leatherhead to the North Pole in a month, Alex Mallet being the one to contribute the furthest distance. We also held a games night and sold tickets for parents and pupils to come and play some fair-type games in the House and a quiz.

We kept some of our favourite traditions; this included the North House Formal, in which the oldest and the youngest speak about their experiences in the House. We also enjoyed our North and Monty summer barbecue to say good luck to our Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth before their examinations. We got lucky with the weather, and the

Interesting facts

houses organised a giant cricket game on the Quad which went on until the end of the evening.

This is also when we say goodbye to our leavers this year. I am glad that we all got to celebrate with a pizza dinner before the pressures of examinations hit. I have been lucky to have an Upper Sixth with so much character. Their house spirit is second to none, and they have always made me laugh. I have excellent memories of their five years in North. wish them all to be courageous and compassionate in their future pursuits, and I hope North House has helped prepare them for the challenges and triumphs ahead.

We are also saying goodbye to two of our tutor team; Dr Lister has been a part of North House for two years and quickly became a part of this family. We will miss her warm smile every morning and positive approach to everything. I know that the Fourth Form has grown so much under her thoughtful guidance, and I am grateful for all of the hard work she has put in for the House and her tutor groups. Mr Debney has been a part of this house for seven years; have not known the House without him. The House team look up to him as a role model tutor, and the pupils are grateful for his support over the years. He has tutored almost all of the boys currently in the House at some stage, and I haven't met anyone with more house spirit. Mr Debney has never missed a house competition to support the boys, whether chess or rugby. They will both be greatly missed, but I am grateful for everything they have done for North.

Finally, I would like to extend a huge thank you to the whole tutor team. They work consistently behind the scenes to make North a safe and happy place for the boys and ensure that they are the best versions of themselves. Thank you to Paula, who is always there for the pupils and the staff and keeps North House running smoothly.

I hope pupils in North take the values, traditions and memories created here forward. We are very proud of all of them, and congratulations on another fantastic year.

Catie Moon,

Housemistress of North House

We have one of the oldest House traditions of the North Formal

From the Housemistress

From the House Captain

For the last five years of my life, I have been extremely blessed in where I have been able to go to school. Yet every time I think back on my time at St John’s there is a persistent feeling of pride which has stemmed from being a member of North House. This pride comes from the history North House represents, its colours, the very building it is based in, and most importantly the people I am proud to be a member of North with.

The Upper Sixth this year were the first cohort of Lower School pupils at the School and were then integrated with new joiners in Fourth Form. From my first induction day where I met everybody I would share a house with for the next half a decade, I don’t think I could have ever appreciated the lottery I had just won.

North has a beautiful tendency to bring people together and this community spirit is what the House fuels itself on in everything it does. This community spirit binds the boys in North together in such a way that I have never experienced, and the self-titled ‘Red Army’ decided to bring this into full effect throughout this year. Some of my favourite displays of house spirit have been from events such as House Singing at the beginning of the year where a booming rendition of Don’t Look Back in Anger threatened to break the Chapel windows or packing the Sports Hall full of red and black to watch the House Badminton group stages.

This year the House has seen some significant success such as a hard-fought victory in House Chess after having our own intra-house competition to decide our representatives. We also saw some brilliant achievements in the pool such as a continuation of water polo dominance with the senior squad winning the competition and the juniors coming in a solid second place. Furthermore, in a valiant effort to continue last year’s success in House Film, our Gogglebox parody gained a highly commended award in the Best Picture category.

House competitions, whilst glamorous, are not the only thing to be proud of whilst being a member of North House. Our continuous drives to help charities such as CALM encapsulate the spirit of service encouraged at St John’s and in North House. Charity nights such as our Peaky Blinder’s themed racing night last year are not only successful ways to support hugely important causes but to also bring the House together.

This sense of charity and responsibility for others runs deep in North, where throughout my time in the House I have always felt comfortable that people have been there to help with all kinds of issues life, as a teenager, can throw at someone. Our continued commitment to raising awareness for men’s mental health has been able to reach all the boys in North and this is one key aspect of the House I am hoping continues past my time.

Whilst I can look back and reminisce about amazing moments North has given me, such as victories in House Football or events such as the traditional formal dinner, the House system has also transformed ordinary days at school into memories I will cherish from people that have become huge parts of my life.

Mrs Moon has had to put up with the Upper Sixth for a very impressive stint and it is clear that her influence in our lives in school has been a constant we could not have done without. She has moulded this small section of the School into a place from which all of those involved have gained a huge amount. Even in fifty years, I will still have one of Mrs Moon’s assemblies to thank for making my bed in the morning to make sure I start the day with success and even though it is small, I hope that ethos will follow me.

Thank you so much to all of the tutors and Matrons who have graced the stairs of North, as without them I would not be able to write about this amazing house I have been a part of. The Upper Sixth will be always grateful to you for helping us achieve what we have, and by our track record of driving Matrons away, it is a marvel we have any adults left in the House!

Without North and all of those that make up the wonderful House, I would not be the young man am today. Creating the ‘North House Gentlemen’ has always been the aim of North House, and I sincerely hope I and the rest of the Upper Sixth have fit the bill, as I am sure that the future generations of North pupils will also. Thank you, North House.

Lucca Williams

North House Captain 2022-2023

House Water Polo, House Chess, highly commended ‘Best Picture’ Category (House Film) Swimming, Fourth Form Football

HOUSE COLOURS

South

From the Housemaster

It has been another exceptionally busy year at St John’s and in South House and I am incredibly proud of all our achievements and successes. South House has gone from strength to strength as the year has progressed, with the Fourth Form winning almost every single sporting event in the Summer Term. I look forward to seeing them flourish in the coming years.

The Autumn Term can be summarised as ‘so close, yet so far.’ South performed well in all house events, and we were successful in the first rounds but perhaps struggled as the competition standards were raised. One highlight was, as always, the House Singing Competition. South narrowly missed out on the top places for the part song competition, much to the dismay of our unison team led by our fantastic Sixth Form. The Unison was a slightly different result, with the music sadly too loud to hear the pupils’ excellent teamwork.

The main standout moment of the Autumn Term was the South House Charity Evening. The South House charity was Elmbridge CAN Refugee Volunteer Support, following an excellent pitch from Sassi in the Fourth Form who volunteers there regularly. Elmbridge CAN is a charity providing support to refugees and asylum seekers who have recently entered the UK and have little more than the clothes on their backs. With requests for donations of toiletries, coats, hats, and children’s toys, the South House office has never been so full!

The charity evening was to be followed by the memorable visit of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the Iranian-British dual citizen who was detained in Iran from 3 April 2016 as part of a long-running dispute between Britain and Iran. Nazanin joined South House for a celebratory lunch with her husband, Richard, and Anoushka, who works for the charity REDRESS, whom South raised money for last year. It was much to the envy of many staff and pupils across the School. The pupils got to enjoy a delicious lunch with our special guests and hear them talk about the impact of the donation of £9,579. Some of you may remember that immediately following our charity night in 2021, Nazanin was released, much to the delight and excitement of all of South House.

The Autumn Term ended with disappointment, as House Hockey was cancelled due to the weather. This was something our keen hockey stars were looking forward to partaking in.

The Spring Term began extremely quickly with much taking place around School, particularly practice papers for our seniors. Just after half term, we enjoyed the hotly contested House Pancake Race around the Quad at lunchtime with all the pupils enjoying the event and really getting into the spirit of the competition! There was also the House Cross Country competition for both seniors and juniors in the same week. I was so grateful to all those who signed up and took part, some of whom really stepped beyond their comfort zone to support the House. This half of term also saw our second charity event of the year; the sponsored walk from Dorking to School. Nevertheless, donations continued to arrive and cover the South office – many thanks to all those who have donated across the year.

Combined with the disappointment of House Hockey in the Autumn Term, South were sadly beaten in two House Netball finals by Gloucester. Many thanks to our superb netballers in the Sixth Form team who battled so superbly.

Nevertheless, it was the Summer Term where South were tremendously successful. As previously mentioned, the juniors, particularly the Fourth Form, won almost every single event. The biggest victory was winning the girls’ Fourth Form competition at Sports Day, in which everyone participated in at least one event. Tennis was won, we were victorious in cricket, and pupils also worked superbly in House Swimming and Water Polo. Thankfully, there is talent coming through the year groups for our exceptional swimmers to pass the baton to. We were delighted that Anna, Mille, and Gabby were first and second place respectively in the House Soliloquy, and finally, I was so proud to see Jemima lead the House Drill team, who were all excellent.

Throughout the year, there have been many individual accolades to celebrate across many aspects of school life, and beyond, and we are exceptionally proud of you all.

The end of an academic year is always bittersweet. The excitement of the next adventure, but the goodbye to what has been so familiar, for some, for the last seven years. The Upper Sixth year group is central to every house and our Upper Sixth have been superb this year. Our thanks go to our House Captain, Seren, Deputy House Captain, Saskia, and our prefect team, whose support and leadership of the House have been greatly appreciated. Alongside the Upper Sixth they say goodbye to their time at St John’s. For our pioneering Lower School group (two of whom were in my tutor group in Lower Third), the last seven years of their life have been immersed in St John’s and hope you all look back fondly on your memories. I have seen you grow from 11-year-olds with oversized blazers that you were promised you’d grow into, to 18-year-olds ready to embark on your next adventure.

Steven Hughes Acting Housemaster of South House

Houses

Competitions

Ididn’t know it at the time but joining South House midway through the Lower Fifth was the moment I was welcomed into a community which would provide me with the support and sense of belonging that would shape my time at St John’s over the coming years. It was this affinity that made me feel incredibly proud when I was appointed House Captain in 2022.

Reflecting on this year in South, it was difficult to boil it down to a few key highlights. It really was a jam-packed year, not least because as the first year back uninterrupted by Covid-19; I think we were all keen to jump back into the fullness and variety of school life. What I can reflect quite simply though was that South, this year, was a class act in unwavering commitment to community and house spirit.

House spirit was abundant through our participation in the vast variety of events – it was hard to miss the number of purple faces at dodgeball, cross country, netball, tennis, and swimming, to name a few! We were represented by the breadth of talent in South throughout the year with successes in the soliloquy, plays, musicals, shooting, cross country and water polo. To add, although the final in House Hockey was never played, we all know who would’ve won! House Singing was certainly a highlight – after much deliberation, we decided on Uptown Funk for Unison and Man In The Mirror for Part Song and from the way in which my ears were ringing, I can say for certain that the entire house sang their hearts out!

This year we were reminded of the importance of a feeling of belonging and community when meeting with our Charity Night chosen cause - Elmbridge CAN, a local community-based charity working to achieve the settlement of more refugees in our local area, introduced by our Fourth Former, Sassi. Our Mamma Mia themed Charity Night raised a considerable amount of money for the fantastic work done by Elmbridge CAN, and I’d like to thank all who were involved in the planning, on the day, and those who contributed.

SOUTH

Charity Night built on the success of our event last year, which raised money for the charity Redress. Redress worked on the freeing of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman who had been imprisoned in Iran and separated from her family. Following her release, we were absolutely thrilled to welcome Nazanin to St John’s for an incredibly moving lunch where she shared her experience of her time in Iran.

The South House community is nurtured by its teachers, parents, and pupils alike and we are all lucky to be a part of it. I want to express my sincere thanks to the teachers who have made such a difference to our time here. Our Housemistress, Mrs Morgan, who has led this House with impressive dedication and encouragement to show up, to grow, and to try new things. I would like to wish Mrs Morgan and her husband the very best on the arrival of their new baby. Our tutors, Mr Rao and Mr Hughes, continued to push us to be our very best and deserve credit for patiently guiding us through the UCAS process! Finally, our Matron, Karen, has kept us in check throughout, constantly reminding us of the length of our skirts, but most importantly was a friendly face around House and a shoulder to cry on when we needed it most.

Throughout it all, there was always a sense that we are encouraged and supported to ‘have a go’ and even if it doesn’t work out, South is behind you. I was continually impressed by those who would put their hand up but also those who have been on the sidelines and in the audience cheering on our community. As a member of the Sixth Form cohort, I was continually proud of the support saw from the older years to the younger ones. I trust that we are leaving South in great hands and that this commitment to caring for our younger years will continue.

To my South girls - I wish you all the very best as you progress through your time here – keep nurturing that sense of support and community that we have all leaned on so much and you will go from strength to strength. To those leaving too – whilst we might be leaving the boarding house, South will forever be core to my happiest school memories and a community that we can also bring with us.

Seren Price South House Captain 2022-2023

HOUSE COLOURS

Surrey

From the Housemaster

Themarquee has arrived and stands tall in the Quad. The mezzanine is eerily quiet and the House is empty as the boys from the Fourth Form, Lower Fifth, and Lower Sixth go about their final few days of the Summer Term. Many have departed on the CCF overnight trip and some of the Lower Sixth are engaging in valuable work experience ahead of the careful crafting of their university applications over the summer ahead of submission early next year. However, it offers me a real opportunity to think about the incredible achievements of the Surrey boys.

Having permanently joined Surrey at the back end of last year, I quickly saw a real desire to achieve not just in the classroom, but in all facets of school including the house competitions. A key competition on everyone’s mind in the Autumn Term is the coveted House Singing Competition. Luke Knowles brought to bear all of his expertise to the Part-Song and the Unison, and I was very proud to see him grasp this opportunity firmly with both hands. With 58 boys to convince into singing with some semblance of musicality and in tune, Luke settled on Viva la Vida by Coldplay which

he felt offered the House an opportunity to be competitive. We were not just competitive but delivered an outstanding performance which found the most favour with the judge on the day and saw us win for only the third time in our history! There was a real sense of belief in the House hereafter, and I can only thank Luke for helping the House start to realise what talent and ability lie within. The Part-Song group performed a medley from The Greatest Showman, and their unwavering commitment must be recognised.

This win set the tone for the rest of the year, and it has been heartening to see a greater desire amongst all of the boys to involve themselves in house competitions to showcase their talents and also proudly represent the House. There remains work to be done in some areas however, the House has chalked up key victories in Junior House Swimming, Junior Water Polo, and House Croquet, as well as hard-fought top three finishes in key events such as Fourth Form House Debating, Lower Fifth and Senior Football, Junior Cricket, Senior House Swimming, and in the Fourth Form competitions at Sports Day. As we approach Surrey’s 75th anniversary next year, I am sure the boys will be keen to build on their overall performance in the House Shield competition.

However, the wide variety of house competitions only form a part of the House Shield competition, and the boys have to back this up with their efforts in the academic life of the school. The boys have worked hard to achieve high numbers of credits whilst working hard to reduce the concerns received as well as ensuring they are on time for lessons and ready to learn. Overall, the boys have engaged well, and a particular mention must go to Robert Richards in the Fourth Form who finished top of his year for credits awarded and who won our in-house NJJ Cup, named after Nick Johnston-Jones (former Surrey Housemaster), which recognises the academic engagement of the boys over the whole year.

Beyond the classroom, Surrey has strong representation across all of the major school sports in all year groups and many of the boys can often be found performing at a high level outside of school. In school, Josh Pascoal-Reynolds, Rupert Toseland, Josh Brown, and Jack O’Neill represented the 1st XV whilst Josh Brown also enjoyed a good season in the 1st XI football. Josh Pascoal-Reynolds and Jack O’Neill with George Thompson also represented Surrey in the 1st XI cricket. We have many strong sporting all-rounders developing in the Lower Fifth and Fourth Form with Sam Armitage, Seb Burford, Ben Cotton, Finlay Dryburgh, Dylan Jackson, Jack Lee, Jack Snooks, George White, and Harry Waller regularly involved in the top teams across the sporting year. Jack Lee continues his footballing career at Oxford United’s academy whilst continuing to represent England ISFA, most notably with a hat-trick at Manchester United’s training ground!

Samuel Hall and Theo Wooden in the Fourth Form can often be found in a swimming pool, and both have achieved strong results over the academic year. Samuel has qualified for the Summer Nationals in two events and is currently ranked 11th and 12th in Britain in his age category for 100m and 50m backstroke. He has achieved strong results over the year, with six top-ten finishes at the South East Regional Championships and an eight-medal haul at the Surrey County Championships. Theo competed at the British leg of the World Para Swimming series where he swam four personal bests, and he also picked up five medals at the

British Para Swimming Championships in November. We are delighted to support them both as they progress with their swimming careers.

However, I am keen to ensure Surrey develops its allround nature and this year is no exception. Luke Knowles continued his on-stage career this year, most notably in Sweeney Todd, amongst other projects outside school and I am keen to see how his career develops. Louis Jeffcott showed his musical talent in the pit for the school musical and achieved an incredible 100% in his grade 8 bass guitar exam this year, which is unheard of! Many of the boys represent the House in a number of groups musically and I am sure we will continue to see this side of the House develop in the coming years.

With a rich and varied co-curricular programme, the boys have many opportunities to broaden their horizons beyond the confines of the curriculum and the playing fields, and it is growing increasingly important that the boys develop wider interests. Greg Vandromme played a key role in the School’s CANSAT entry this year which he has talked enthusiastically about, and I hope he will inspire more of our budding physicists and mathematicians to involve themselves in future school entries for this competition.

As ever, I am incredibly grateful for the support of my House tutor team, particularly Mr van Zyl as my Assistant Housemaster and Angie our wonderful Matron. We bid a bittersweet farewell to Mr Witts who moves just down the cloisters to Monty as Assistant Housemaster, and we wish him all the best in his new role suitably attired in a Surrey House tie and cufflinks!

I must bid a fond farewell to the leaving Upper Sixth with whom I have thoroughly enjoyed working as we continue to build on last year’s foundations. UCAS applications were completed in good time, and I am grateful to Mr van Zyl’s support in completing these. The Prefect Team led by Jack O’Neill with strong support from Luke Knowles, Josh Pascoal Reynolds, and Rhys Venmore was greatly appreciated and ensured a strong turnout for competitions, particularly amongst the younger members of the House. hope they will look back fondly on their time in Surrey and look forward to welcoming them back in the near future.

Will Morgan Housemaster of Surrey House

Houses

From the House Captain

AsI reflect on this past year, I am struck by the remarkable achievements and growth of Surrey House. When I joined Surrey all those years ago, I’d hear stories of the good old days of Surrey House, where winning had become a habit. This year, we were very keen to return to those winning ways and display the same class that had created the foundations of Surrey that we build upon today. We began the year with a clear vision: to rebuild our reputation and establish ourselves as a force to be reckoned with in the School community. Powered by our motto ‘Belong, Believe, Achieve’, I am proud to say that we have accomplished significant achievements that reflect our house values and vision.

One of our proudest moments this year was winning the Unison in the House Singing Competition for the first time in 28 years – a truly monumental achievement for us. After tormenting the Schools’ ears each year for as long as I have been at St John’s, this time around we gave a rendition of Viva La Vida that Coldplay themselves would be proud of, winning over the School, and most importantly the judge. Kudos must also be given to our outstanding Part Song group; we feel they put on The Greatest Show of the day. Despite feeling that we deserved to win more awards for our House Film than we did, it certainly received the most laughs and was definitely the talk of the town for a good few weeks after.

We also had an outstanding showing in the Fourth Form House Debating Competition, narrowly losing to Gloucester in the final. Our team demonstrated excellent critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills, showcasing our ability to thrive in intellectual pursuits.

In addition to our successes in academic competitions, we also demonstrated our athletic prowess in the water and on land. Our Fourth Form and Lower Fifth water polo team finished first place, with some self-proclaimed ‘tiki-taka’, and we also secured second place in the House Rowing Competition despite our limited knowledge of the optimal technique. Looking like Ajax thanks to our Adidas House kit (making all the other houses jealous), and after a style of play similar to that of Burnley under Sean Dyche, we finished second in the Intermediate House Football Competition and third in the Senior House Football Competition. Placing third in House Chess proved that the addition of a chess board into the Sixth Form room was definitely worthwhile. Furthermore, our badminton team produced some great performances to finish third, and we also had a good representation in House Drill and House Shooting, but the less said about House Dodgeball the

Of course, I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mr Morgan, our Housemaster, whose competitiveness, and love for winning has rubbed off on all of us; our tutors, in particular Mr van Zyl, as Upper Sixth tutor for all of his help with UCAS and never failing to make us laugh; and our Matron, Angie, who is always there to fix anything that goes wrong. Their dedication and commitment have been instrumental in our success, and we are grateful for their tireless efforts in helping us achieve our goals and being the most fun tutor team in the School.

better. Our pupils showed great sportsmanship, resilience, and determination in these events, making us proud to represent Surrey House. I was most impressed by the willingness of everyone to participate in every single house event, even if it meant pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.

Another highlight this year was the annual House Charity Night. Despite some early uncertainty about what sharing the night with Haslewood would entail, the combined creative prowess of both Houses proved an excellent asset in making a truly memorable night. The casino-themed evening was action-packed, with incredible musical performances, notably the Surrey band, as well as some fun quizzes and casino games. Most importantly, we thank all of the parents for their generosity in helping us to raise a huge amount of money for Momentum, a local charity, helping the families of seriously ill children.

On a wider School scale, the Surrey House representation has been second to none. From key members in the School musical and orchestra to first-team sportsmen, we certainly have not failed to be recognised throughout the School, with seven pupils receiving full or half colours in their area of expertise. In addition to this, we have a strong showing in the senior ranks of the Combined Cadet Force, and more pupils than ever before in my time at St John’s being credited each term with excellent academic engagement in assembly.

We have also made significant strides in rebuilding our reputation this year. Our commitment to hard work and distinction has earned us the respect of the other houses, and we have demonstrated that we are a force to be reckoned with. We have fostered a culture of inclusivity, support, and excellence that has allowed us to achieve remarkable things and build a strong sense of community.

In closing, I can confidently say that Surrey House has achieved great things this year. We have excelled in academic and co-curricular pursuits, demonstrated sportsmanship and resilience, and built a strong sense of togetherness that has earned us the respect of the School community. It has been an honour to lead such an exceptional team, and I am proud of what we have accomplished, whilst confidently being able to say that we have undoubtedly belonged, believed, and achieved. I look forward to hearing about what I am sure will be a historic 75th anniversary year for Surrey next year and wish all the departing Surrey Stags every success.

Jack O’Neill

Surrey House Captain 2022-2023

SURREY

HOUSE COLOURS

West

As I wrote last year, I was informed by Mr Bass that being a Housemaster was the best job in teaching and, unsurprisingly, this is still very much the case. There is no doubt that being a teenage boy in 2023 is considerably more difficult than when I was a child; TikTok algorithms, influencers with questionable opinions, body image pressures, and the competitive nature of universities. That said, I am immensely proud of the consistently empathetic, kind, and tolerant environment that the boys have created which tackles the stereotype of masculinity often seen across society. The empathetic conversations on the landing of West House, the shouts of encouragement from the sidelines, the shoulders to cry on the difficult days, the cordial atmosphere when buttering toast and applause when the peers succeed. It is safe to say that the boys of West House show that modern men challenge traditions.

Traditions do change and new ones are made. Our outgoing Upper Sixth are sticklers for tradition and have worked with me over the last two years to create some new ones. It now brings me great joy at the Boarders’ Christmas Dinner when our Sixth Form dust off their tuxedos to set the tone of the evening. Similarly, the West House boys of today, much like those of yesteryear, do love to sing. Unison was not exactly a tour de force this year, but we are immensely proud that Mr White has often praised the House for our hearty sound. I believe that our love of a hymn has been enhanced by Mr Goodwin and Edward Stancombe’s Tuesday Boarding ‘Hymn Society’. That sense of community that boarding brings is perhaps best seen in the Monday Night ‘Werewolves’ with boarders from the Upper Sixth to the Fourth Form, and even some foolish staff, taking time to come together in a ‘Mafia’ style game. Full of laughter and lies, dramatised expertly by our narrators, often ends up with plenty of suspect behaviour. The most enjoyable aspect is the collegiate atmosphere amongst boys across the year groups. These are traditions that I hope will continue for many a year to come.

House Shield Winners 2023

Throughout the year we set ourselves the goal of retaining the House Shield and with plenty of hard work and a fair bit of luck we managed to scrape past a very impressive Gloucester House in the final hours. With thousands of credits gained, competitions won, and thoroughly impressive engagement grades it has been our consistency that has managed to get us over the line. Particular highlights will be Will Bennet and Jack Hussey’s argumentative nous in their Senior House Debating win, the sheer volume of West House runners to claim the House Cross Country title, Zac ten Have and Tobi Solaja’s crowd-pleasing rap in House Part Song, the Senior House Football victory which sent the House into a frenzy, and the never-say-die attitude of every West House boy at House Athletics knowing that every point mattered. Will we be able to retain the Shield again? It will be down to whether we can hand prep in on time and not be late!

As the whole House, pupils, staff, and parents, gathered together on Speech Day was filled with immense pride in the community we have, but also deeply sad to say goodbye and good luck to our Upper Sixth. They have felt almost ever-present, which is unsurprising given they board on average 3.64 nights a week, during my time in West. They are a year group that have set the tone for what it means to be in West ever since they stepped foot through the doors five years ago. Cheeky, pushing the boundaries of what was allowed and possible, and a collegiate group of differing personalities, characteristics, and talents. That was them in the Fourth Form, and as they walked down the West House stairs for the last time. I am exceptionally grateful for all the service and memories they have given, and I am immensely proud of the young men they have become.

I am immensely proud of all of the boys in West and am delighted that they genuinely view our House as their home away from home. Whether playing cricket on the Quad in boarding, sitting on the landing after prep, or by the toaster at break, there is always a conversation taking place that brings a smile to your face. I may have the good fortune to lead the House, but I could not do it without Angela, Mr Howarth, our tutor team and, of course, Helen and Emma. It is a team effort boys and staff alike; I wonder what 2023-24 will bring.

Joe Pepper Housemaster of West House

From the Housemaster

From the House Captain

IWEST

t is a tough thought to even fathom having to leave the House I so dearly love. West House is so much more than just a house; it is a home. A place where pupils can thrive, with passion and love for the House being de ep-rooted, and a sense of community like no other house around School. West has been the focal point of my schooling career, helping to shape me into the man I have become today. I am happiest when I am in West, I feel safe. I will greatly miss the sense of pride I get every time I walk up the stairs to House knowing full well that I have the honour of being House Captain of the greatest house at St John’s. West House has supported me in my darkest moments, always bringing m e light and enjoyment in the times when I have needed it the most. Like any house, West has changed immensely over the last five years. In my time I have ex perienced four Housemasters, a complete renovation of the House, and evolving house values. However, there is one common denominator that has remained the same in my time, and that is the sense of community and togetherness.

During my time as House Captain, I have had the pleasure of having so many moments of pride. House Athletics last summer had to be one of the most amazing displays from West I have ever seen through my time, an event which really epitomised the values in which we stand for as a house. Every single boy in the House, whether athletic or not, came together and gave their heart and soul to try and place in as many events as possible so that we could have the best opportunity of winning House Athletics. Most importantly it was done with bursting smiles and a strong sense of camaraderie, and to no surprise, we won the event.

The scenes on the bus after were immense with a sense of pride and togetherness from each individual, with boys singing their hearts out, laughing, cheering and smiling. It is a day that will remain deeply rooted in my memories for a very long time. However, the moment in which am most proud of this year was in Congers one rainy Friday morning in mid-March. During the first hymn, Mr White was hit with a blistering sound of volume distinctly coming from West.

The second hymn came, and he challenged West to see if we could out-sing the entirety of the School. As West boys we never back out of a challenge and the challenge was well and truly on. The rest of the Houses combined gave a feeble attempt at the first verse. It was now West’s time to shine.

Verse two came, and the Chapel was hit with the roaring sound of 68 West boys pouring everything they had into I

The Lord of Sea and Sky. Tears of pride started welling up in my eyes as West House successfully out-sang the entirety of the School, once again asserting why I believe West is undoubtedly the best House in the School.

Similar to last year, yet again West has proved just how dominant we are in all aspects of School life, with countless house competitions being won such as House Cross Country, Senior House Debating, House CrossFit, House Rowing, and House Football to name a few. This, alongside the enormous number of credits achieved, reflects just how hard West boys work in their academic lessons, as well as countless boys being involved in music and drama performances across the year. It always gives me a great sense of pride looking at the vast array of talents from West boys exerted around everyday School life. The level of support we have all had for each other between and amongst staff and pupils, is unparalleled to anything I have ever been a part of before, and it is this that I hope to prevail the most throughout West House’s long and incredible future.

Letting go of West will be one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. The memories, friends, and support that I have received and made throughout my time in West are unforgettable and life changing. I like to refer to West as a family, albeit a highly diverse and dysfunctional family, a family nevertheless, and one that I care for and love so deeply. So, with that being said, as another year comes to a close, I want you to know just how proud and honoured I am to have served as West House Captain and wish you all the very best for years to come!

Max Iannotti

West House Captain 2022-23

PERFORMING

Arts

at St John’s

By Ollie White, Director of Performing Arts

AsI write this, and I approach the end of my fifth year as Director of Performing Arts, I feel immensely proud of how the department has grown over that time with pupil engagement, breadth of repertoire, and overall standard. It is difficult to judge how a department devoted to performance achieves success quantitatively, but this year we have seen:

Over 12,000 PERIPATETIC LESSONS IN MUSIC, DRAMA, AND DANCE

PERFORMING

ARTS

SEVERAL PUPILS ARE OFF TO CHORAL AND ORGAN SCHOLARSHIPS, CONSERVATOIRES, AND VOCATIONAL MUSICAL THEATRE COLLEGES

We have also invested in further equipment, with the help of the SJPA and the Estates Department and we now are the proud owners of 13 new radio microphones and handheld microphones and a new system of curtains for within the PAC, which creates the ability to turn it from concert hall to theatre very quickly. But more than with facts and figures, it is in the indefinable qualitative joy that the department has brought pupils and parents where one’s true satisfaction lies. The zest and joy that has been on the faces of the pupils involved betters any statistic.

Nowhere was this more evident than in our centrepiece for the year, when we returned to Leatherhead Theatre to perform Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the end of the Spring Term. In 17 years of working in various schools across the South East, this production really was the most atmospheric, sophisticated, and gripping performance of a musical I have seen. The talent across all of the principal cast was astonishing, and the focus from the ensemble was electric. Pupils were working backstage moving scenery,

Around 90% OF ALL EXAMINATIONS AND DIPLOMAS HAVE BEEN GRADED MERIT OR DISTINCTION

Almost 40% OF THE SCHOOL ENGAGE IN THE CO-CURRICULAR PERFORMING ARTS ON A WEEKLY BASIS (UP FROM 12% FIVE YEARS AGO)

stage managing, and fitting radio mics, and we even had pupils joining the professional band in the pit. So much wonderful praise for the pupils' performances was sent in. They truly performed with an emotional maturity, sincerity, and intensity that is rarely seen in a school production but in some ways the following quote sums it up well “not just exceptional for a school production, but exceptional full stop!” The performances from the two main leads, Will and Daisy, were quite simply astonishing. Daisy in particular gave a tour de force performance as the pie shop owner, Mrs Lovett.

The Autumn Term is historically always the home to the legendary House Singing Competition, this year adjudicated by Mr Simon Bland, Director of Music at Haileybury and former Assistant Director of Music at St John's. It began with our (now regular) scholars' barbecue, which is a fantastic way to integrate our new scholars, so they quickly feel part of the family, rapidly followed by a workshop in stage makeup from a professional makeup artist. Pupils learnt the skill of ageing a face and creating gory cuts and injuries.

Just before October half term has become the usual spot for our Concerto Competition, this year with our highest number of entrants ever featuring Mozart to Elgar and won by the School Captain, Jacob, with a rendition of the first movement of Chopin's Piano Concerto No 1.

The start of November saw vocalists and Schola Cantorum work with members of the Choir and the Assistant Organist of Westminster Abbey quickly juxtaposed by the Lower School Cabaret. Over 50 children were keen to perform in this, and although we stuck with our usual formula of solos, duets, or trios, we did two large ensemble numbers to give everyone who wished to be involved a shot.

The Michaelmas Concert was a fundraiser for The Leatherhead Theatre with whom with have forged a strong alliance. The theme was ‘Awakenings’ and was centred around sections of Messiah performed by the School Choir and Choral Society, but with performances from all major ensembles. We succeeded in raising a large amount for the theatre and all staff, pupils, and parents remarked on what an enjoyable experience it had been staging a concert there.

The term, as ever, finished with a wonderful Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, but this was preceded by our annual Christmas Rock Concert and the Autumn Production, A Series of Public Apologies a biting satire of large-scale organisations and management structure performed in the round.

Spring Term is always busy; I have already referenced the musical, but a staple of the term is our Music Making Day for local primary and prep schools. This allows children to play and sing in a massive orchestra and choir on a scale that they may not be able to do at their own establishment. It took place immediately after a bespoke Lower School Drama Workshop in puppetry held by the Polka Theatre and immediately before our annual Forbes Music Competition, with around 100 pupils taking part. The Winners' Recital for this has become a highlight of the year, with the winners of each category, and at each winning standard, performing before a large crowd.

House Film has grown in stature over the last few years and now is a fiercely competitive event, showing some amazingly imaginative storytelling and creative cinematic skills. Our music masterclass was held by West End MD Alex Aitken who also is an A level examiner. He was able to work with the cast of the musical, lead an A level workshop with our pupils and some from local secondary schools before giving a lecture in conquering performance nerves.

The Spring Concert pulled out all the stops for a joyous evening around dance with a packed PAC witnessing everything from Dancing Queen and Fame to Stompin' at the Savoy and we got the chance to truly show off all the bells and whistles with our new lighting and sound rig. There really was a feeling of the pupils and audience leaving while walking on air with happiness.

The Summer Term always has disruptions with study leave and internal examinations, so we have always tried to do as much as possible early on. We managed to take our scholars to the West End again, this time to see Pretty Woman, and we started with a masterclass in acting through song. Our second-ever Dance Showcase took place in front of a large, receptive audience before we moved immediately into our Summer Concert (amusingly staged at the end of Spring). This is always a super swansong for many of our instrumentalists and singers and we were treated to an evening of music themed around France and French composers. The centrepiece of this concert was a truly first-class performance of Faure's Requiem conducted by the Assistant Director of Music, Mr Goodwin. The standard of the choir is now tip top and this was a committed, passionate, and moving performance.

WE HAVE HAD casts of over 70

ACROSS OUR PRODUCTIONS AND CONCERTS OVER 36

The last half of the term has found its groove now with a similar format. The Lower School finally had the opportunity to take to the stage and this year we rang the changes. We wanted to give as many people roles as we could, so we staged 10 short plays which enabled 70 pupils to all have lines and characters; some plays were poignant, some were silly, and some were a little bit romantic. We had talking chess pieces, talking crayons, and fighting monkeys and cockatoos, but crucially every play was performed with conviction. Hopefully, we have sowed a few seeds for budding thespians in the future!

Before the year finished with a return to the world of rock and pop for our Summer Rock Concert we had our Summer Musical Theatre Cabaret, this year called ‘Doubt’ This had our largest cast ever and we converted the PAC into an intimate cabaret venue for the evening. Working with the pupils for this event, and casting an eye over it from the piano brings me full circle; the depth of emotional expression, the ability to act through song, and the absolute love of performing and standing on stage are truly fabulous to see and like Sweeney Todd I believe that we now have a department that is doing inspirational work with the pupils. We hope that the department can continue to create these wonderful moments for the pupils in the years to come. I am grateful to the wonderful staff within the department who work tirelessly to offer the best provision we can. On current form, it is clear that pupils cannot get enough of the performing bug, and as for performing itself... well, they are doing that really rather well across every style and genre. Bravi tutti!

The Performing Arts are thriving at St John's School, and the department continues to be an energetic, creative, and inclusive hub that brings together hundreds of performers across all our year groups. The biennial St John's musical is always an exciting event, and we were delighted to watch three powerhouse performances of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (School Edition) at The Leatherhead Theatre on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 March 2023.

Astonishing

TODD SWEENEY

Unfair to call it a 'school' production; it was so much more than that.

The cast of over 40 pupils tackled the gargantuan piece with aplomb and we were overjoyed to be able to invite an audience to our major musical once more, complete with a professional orchestra playing alongside some of our pupils in the pit, and a professional stage and set supported by the fantastic professional crew at the theatre.

A gripping and darkly comedic musical thriller, Sweeney Todd provided the perfect platform for our talented pupils and musical theatre at St John's to shine. Audience members were blown away by the slick professionalism and commitment of the cast, and they were treated to over two hours of laughs, shocks, and tears. In the title role, Will gave a performance of exceptional emotional depth being both scary and sensitive, and Daisy in the role of Mrs Lovett, his partner in crime, gave a tour-de-force performance with impeccable comic timing and an assurance on stage way beyond that of a school production.

The whole cast and backstage crew were invested in the musical with incredible energy and heart, and each show was an astonishing performance of theatre fully supported by the crew at The Leatherhead Theatre with whom the School has a strong relationship. Mr Goodwin conducted the pit orchestra (a mixture of professionals and pupils) with great skill, swagger, and dramatic drive.

Not just exceptional for a school production, but exceptional full-stop.

It did not feel like a school production, it was so andprofessional slick.

Absolutely phenomenal. Wow....just WOW.

In 17 years of working in various schools in the South East, this production was the most atmospheric, sophisticated, and gripping performance of a musical I have seen. The talent across the principal cast was spellbinding, with not a single weaker link and the focus from the whole ensemble was truly exciting. I really believe that this was an amazing experience for the cast and the audience that they will never forget. I am so proud of the pupils and the performing arts family at St John's.

Director of Performing Arts, Ollie White

DRAMA

The drama pupils have excelled themselves this year in taking to the stage to perform twenty-one performances across the Spring and Summer Terms in GCSE and A level drama. There was an array of performances ranging from Berkovian Chimpanzees , A Pool With No Water , and a rendition of the Seven Deadly Sins modernised using media formats such as Love Island and This Morning . The Fourth Form and Lower School continued to explore their imagination and creativity whilst building on communicating effectively, working as a team, and building the confidence not only to take to the stage but also to direct, design, and write within the drama sphere.

All the worl d ’ s a stage

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

A level Scripted Examination

The Upper Sixth performed a haunting story of A Pool No Water by Mark Ravenhill for their scripted examination. Their gritty naturalism made us feel like we were not so much a part of the audience, but more like participants in some sort of group counselling session. A difficult script that they had to edit, assign characters to, and portray the truth about friendship and jealousy. It was a standout performance from the whole company who worked tirelessly to bring such a physical script to life with energy and dedication. After a tolling group performance, they then went on to perform individual monologues from scripts such as Posh, Things I Know To Be True, The Long Road, Decadence and Goodbye Charles. I wish them all the very best for their results and thank them for their immense dedication to the Drama Department over their years at St John’s. A level Devised Examination

A level Devised Examination

Influenced by Steven Berkoff’s Metamorphosis and his theatrical techniques, the Lower Sixth set to work to create an inspired piece of drama around the two. They created a plot based on a ‘normal family’ hiding a secret. That secret would have been well hidden had their daughter not decided that she couldn’t contain it any longer. The chimpanzee in her couldn’t stay hidden. Their use of shadows and physicalisation transitioning from humans into chimpanzees was well-executed and powerful, with the message of discrimination woven throughout the portrayal of the piece.

GCSE Lower Fifth Scripted Examination

The Lower Fifth performed their scripted performances in March which consisted of performances from Five Kinds of Silence, Find Me, Pieces, and Lord of The Flies There were some standout choral moments from Girls Like That and Be My Baby with the use of physical theatre, unison, and synchronisation and some chilling naturalistic portrayals from Punk Rock and Tusk Tusk Well done to all who committed to the rigorous rehearsal, creating, and performing process.

GCSE Devising Examination

The Lower Fifth created from the following stimuli: The Island by Armin Greder, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Stockholm Syndrome. As you can imagine, this inspired many different plays that were creatively developed by an imaginative year group. We had performances of refugees making their journey to a safer place, controlling captors, Myra Hindley docu-drama, and comedic host show style performances. Their examination offered a wide range of variety both from a design perspective and performer perspective with two pupils opting to create a set and costume design.

CHAPEL

It has been great to be back in Chapel as a school this year, with all the highlights that have marked many other years:

Singing the 12 days of Christmas with each house taking part on the last day of the Michaelmas Term.

Marking Ash Wednesday and celebrating the feast of the Ascension with Eucharist services.

Starting each term gathered together as a Lower and Senior School with a service led in part by pupils and popular hymns resonating to the elevated rafters of the Chapel.

After three disrupted years, and only the Sixth Form having experienced the whole cycle of a Chapel year, it was as much these occasions and Chapel being the norm and centre of the School which has been a new experience for many pupils this year. Last year in The Johnian, I quoted Miroslav Volf who reflected on the writing of Cardinal Ratzinger; “The essence of the church [is located] in the area between the self and the whole; it is the communion between the human ‘I’ and the divine ‘Thou’ in a universally communal ‘We’.” It feels as if we have rediscovered the communal ‘We’ with a return to Chapel life this year. Especially as the new pattern of services has been embedded into school life.

This year the census data regarding religions was released, and this formed the basis of our reflections in Chapel during the first part of the Lent Term. As newspaper headlines heralded the demise of religion in England and Wales the reality was much more complex. The BBC News website led with ‘Less than half of England and Wales population Christian’ was perhaps the most accurate of the many headlines. The 2021 census showed that 46.2% of people identified themselves as Christians, compared with 59.3% of the population in the 2011 census. This is a 13%-point drop in a decade and means those who identify as Christian are now less than half the population, so in some sense, this could be seen as a minority as some claimed. However, Christianity is also the largest group of beliefs, whilst the number of those who identified as not religious 10% was lower than many had anticipated and indeed than research had previously indicated.

The decrease in religious adherence is no surprise, especially for those who work with young people but equally, as with all groups, the reality is very often more complex than the mere numbers suggest. Religion has long been a point of division, and although in Chapel all our services have some Christian part, as Chaplain I have always been aware that my ministry is to those of all faiths and none and that our acts of worship remind us of what we share and not what divides.

It may feel like a pivotal moment, as it is clear we cannot claim Britain is a Christian country when fewer than half of the population identify in this manner. However, we are very much a nation of religious faith, and this is true at St John’s. Two in three people identify with organised religion and what is more, there are many more for whom faith in some way shapes their life.

The trend away from faith is not something that is reflected in any of the major non-Christian religions which all saw a rise, more than 1.2 million more people identified as Muslim in England and Wales in 2021 as compared to 2011. But it is not just the major religions which are growing.

The �any other religion� option which includes Pagans, Spiritualists, Alevism, and Jain’s as the largest groups is now on a par with both the Buddhist and Jewish communities in our country.

There was a time when to be British meant to be Christian, those days are clearly long gone – rightly so it is now entirely acceptable for someone to say that they have no religious commitment. This statement no longer leads to that individual being thought of as in some way morally deficient or excluded from opportunities in public life.

Fewer than 200 years ago the Government was forced to pass the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1828 after Daniel O'Connell won a large majority in the County Clare by-election. Before this act it had been illegal for Roman Catholics to sit as MPs and take public office. It was to be another 30 years before Jewish MP’s could be legally elected and then another 30 years until 1888, following a campaign by atheist Charles Bradlaugh, those of any or no religion could also sit in Parliament as MP’s. It is my privilege to stand in Chapel and lead us communally in our reflections and expression of our shared values or spirituality as I might describe.

The census tells us that in the last 135 years England and Wales have become increasingly diverse in faith, but this is not akin to division. All this is reflected in my experience of Chapel at St John’s, whilst many pupils do not identify with a particular religion, our communal gathering and indeed the singing of hymns continues to be at the centre of school life. At the end of term when melody is often lacking, the commitment to a shared experience is upmost in our singing.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

It has been a joy to return to gathering together and regularly raise a joyful noise once more, even if on occasion the imperative at the start of the Psalm is interpreted very literally by the Sixth Form!

Psalm 100 is one of the shortest of Psalms.

Reverend Charlie Moloney Chaplain

Beyond the classroom

We have put on an enormous array of clubs, activities, rehearsals, and societies this year. In fact, over 5,700 club sessions were available to the pupils. There have been some fantastic pupil-driven initiatives such as the Science Magazine, Warhammer Club and Girls’ Football and a whole host of new additions to the activities schedule including Scuba Diving, Beginners’ Greek, Harry Potter Club, Spanish Debating, Calisthenics, Accounting, Chinese, Wood Turning, and Mindfulness Colouring to name but a few.

The Lower Third took their annual trip to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to visit the Mary Rose and other ships and attractions. The Upper third had a theatre workshop and then took part in Noughts and Crosses in the theatre. Fourth Form pupils participated in onsite challenges (a quiz, orienteering, team building etc.) and Lower Fifth went on their first CCF field day. The Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth went on a range of visits including the Karren Brady ‘Women in Business’ expo, East London Street art walking tour and graffiti workshop, Kingston escape room and city treasure hunt, water sports and the Dorking sports simulator studio.

This year, Enrichment Day was pushed back to March to try and raise the odds of the Army overnight trip not being washed away and to increase the available daylight hours. We held our inaugural ‘Make a Difference’ day where houses and groups of pupils took part in charitable and community work. Pupils visited the Barnfield Riding Stables to paint; gardened for local residents and in the QEF visitors' garden; sorted donations and taught English at the Epsom and Ewell Refugee Centre; completed conservation work at the Langley Vale Wood’s site; volunteered at local primary schools and made a meal for a local homeless shelter. Some pupils also completed onsite challenges such as sponsored walks to raise funds for their house charities. Pupils in the Lower Third travelled to Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium, whilst Upper Third had the pleasure of watching the ‘Sweeney Todd school musical matinee. The Fourth Form swung from tree to tree at the Chessington Go Ape course whilst the Lower Fifth took part in CCF trips.

Summer Enrichment Days

Lower Third pupils were involved in a performing arts workshop day, learning songs and scenes from Mary Poppins. They also visited Kew and Chessington. The Upper Third spent three days away in Portland, Dorset, taking part in adventurous outdoor activities at Land and Wave. The Fourth Form took part in a one-day film school where they learnt about scripting, filming, and editing. They also took a trip to the Out of Bounds Activity Centre where they bowled, played crazy golf, and scaled the various indoor climbing challenges. The Lower Fifth completed various CCF trips including an overnight trip and all sections visited Camelot for a mud run and obstacle course challenge. The Lower Sixth took part in a range of visits including Oxford and Imperial universities, a primary school’s TAG rugby tournament, Churchill War Rooms, the Bank of England Museum, Thorpe Park, and a range of work experience placements.

The Lower Third have explored a wide range of material in their enrichment lessons, focusing on campaigns for social change across issues such as Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+. They have learnt about government and politics and participated in the first careers lessons we have had for this age group, learning about the jobs of the future. The year group have recently been working on independent research projects for the Lower School Project.

The Upper Third have primarily focused on the First Give social action charity campaign where the four classes choose a local charity to support and raise awareness for. They took part in fundraising and information campaigns and created banners, posters, and presentations. Congratulations to the winning group 8PoH for raising over £300 and the £1,000 donation for Princess Alice Hospice.

The academic challenge group (which is predominantly made up of scholars but is open to all) has had an enormous range of visiting speakers in their sessions this year. Each week they have a different theme, guest teacher or Sixth Former and the sessions have ranged from Chinese to Chaucer. They had a talk from the victorious CANSAT team and enjoyed introductory sessions to A level subjects such as business and psychology. The group have also taken part in (and had some success in) competitions such as Young Writers and enjoyed their first scholars’ trip to the Guildford board games café.

October Enrichment Day

March Enrichment Day

Enrichment Lessons

Scholars

Community

CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE ST JOHN’S SCHOOL COMMUNITY HOLIDAY

Over the past ten years, St John’s School Community Holiday has welcomed children with disabilities aged 10 to 18, providing a fun-filled residential stay. The week-long holiday sees our Sixth Form pupils volunteer to provide every visiting child with one-to-one care and attention, involving games, stories, activities, trips, and plenty of laughter.

Every year, St John’s pupils, alumni, and staff participate in training and fundraising activities, ensuring the full team is equipped to deliver the best week possible. The training would not be possible without the support of two Old Johnians, Livvy and Cat. Many former pupils return to volunteer again each year, with new helpers joining every year too.

The 2023 holiday took place from 19 to 26 August, welcoming 24 extraordinary children who were cared for by a fantastic team of 47 present and former St John’s pupils, alongside St John’s staff and a few external volunteers.

If you would like to contribute towards the fantastic work of the Eagle Community Holiday, please visit www.justgiving.com/ page/stjohnscommunityholiday

Making use of the School’s boarding houses and spacious grounds, our wonderful guests enjoyed an assortment of exciting activities including a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, dancing, swimming, cooking, a magician, and a visit from a petting zoo. Day trips included the children testing their nerves on the low and high ropes at High Ashurst Outdoor Education Centre, soaking in the sunshine at Littlehampton Beach, meeting farm animals at Bocketts Farm Park, and thrillseeking at Chessington World of Adventures.

“The children enjoyed a great week of fun activities and loved the companionship of their helpers looking after them one-on-one. To reach the point of hosting the holiday for ten years is remarkable and demonstrates the ongoing commitment of so many talented and dedicated staff.”

– Registered Manager, Neil Whitmore

During the week, the Community Holiday hosted a visitors’ evening to celebrate the ten-year anniversary, welcoming visitors to watch an exceptional fashion show and join the nightly singsong. Many visitors commented on how heartwarming of an event it was, and the enjoyment they took in seeing the children having such a great time.

The holiday offers unique social opportunities for our guests and staff alike. The feedback we receive every year demonstrates how invaluable the Community Holiday is, not only due to the support it provides to the children’s wellbeing but also the often much-needed respite it gives to parents and carers.

I never seem to have the right words to be able to appropriately thank you for the incredible week you give our children. It’s so special what you and all the wonderful helpers do for us. They had the most fun time, were very stimulated, and gained independence in so many ways. It’s given us some much-needed precious one-on-one time with my eldest before they depart for university in a few weeks. It's wonderful to have the break knowing how happy and cared for my child is. Thank you so much.

– Parent

I always knew it was a very special week you organised, but I can’t believe the change in my child, it’s absolutely wonderful. I never think there are enough words, but we are so thankful for the holiday. It’s so incredible in so many ways.

– Parent

Once again, I had the best week, and I feel so honoured to have the opportunity to be involved in such an amazing organisation. I know it would not be possible without all your hard work, so thank you.

– Volunteer

In celebration of the last decade and in honour of its St John’s roots, the Community Holiday will be renamed to the St John’s School Eagle Community Holiday, where everyone can soar. With sights set on 2024, the holiday staff will commence planning and fundraising to keep building on the success year after year.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

As the busy Spring Term neared its end, we took the opportunity to use our Enrichment Day on Thursday 23 March to support our local community with the hope of making a difference.

Our pupils are passionate, energetic, and inventive when it comes to finding ways to support local charities and fundraise for causes they care about; 5,284 hours of service are already offered by St John’s pupils on average each year, and we are always looking for ways in which the St John’s community can help others and have a positive impact.

Several senior school pupils took part in our first Make a Difference Day, where they chose from a number of local volunteering opportunities.

A group of pupils spent the day in the Dining Hall with our Head Chef, Billy, preparing food for Leatherhead Start, a local charity that provides shortterm and emergency accommodation for local people facing homelessness. Pupils then delivered the prepared meals to the centre in time for their evening meal and created advertising for a collection of items needed by the charity.

A group of pupils offered gardening and outdoor maintenance support to local vulnerable and elderly residents. Several pupils offered their support as volunteers at the Woodland Trust – Langley Vale Woods, participating in conservation work including the removal of invasive species on fences and the managing of saplings.

A number of pupils also helped with gardening and grounds maintenance at the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People, assisting the charity in creating a welcoming environment

The true strength of a community can only be measured by the individual actions of each individual within it and Make a Difference Day allowed us, as a school, to demonstrate the importance we place on developing the connections with our entire St John’s community.

– Ian White, Deputy Head (Logistics & Co-Curricular)

for residents and their families at their injury and illness rehabilitation centre.

The Queen Elizabeth Foundation provide care and rehabilitation facilities for people recovering from injuries and complex illnesses such as brain or spinal injuries, and their grounds are used by their residents and visiting families to support their recovery.

Epsom and Ewell Refugee Network, who hosted the Ukraine Summer Languages Camp at St John’s in the summer of 2022, welcomed our pupil volunteers to work alongside charity members sorting donated items to be sent to Ukraine. Pupils also welcomed the opportunity to meet with refugees and help with conversational English workshops. Epsom and Ewell Refugee Network provide support to refugees and asylum seekers in the local area.

Pupils offered classroom support at three local schools: St Peter’s, Leatherhead Trinity, and West Ashtead Primary. They enjoyed supporting classroom teaching with a range of learning activities and loved getting involved in break time and sporting activities.

A number of houses took part in fundraising activities, including the South House charity walk across Box Hill, and Gloucester House visiting Barnfield Riding Stables, which provide riding for the disabled, to help with painting and maintenance for the charity. Other house fundraising activities included Hawkins House's three peaks walking simulation for FND Hope, and Haslewood and Surrey House raising funds for Momentum with a day of challenges.

Pupils found the time spent volunteering and fundraising within our local community invaluable. They came back to St John’s with a proud sense of achievement, having learnt new skills, and most importantly reflective of the importance of the support they had given.

We rightly pride ourselves on the strength of our school community, but Make a Difference Day was an opportunity to also recognise this within our wider community. The ability to support local residents, schools, and charities not only helps embed the ethos of giving back but also allows pupils to gain skills and experiences that they will remember for a long time to come.

COMBINED CADET FORCE

As the height of summer draws near we have the chance to reflect on the last year of CCF and all that both pupils and staff have undertaken. From a field in Frimley to Buckingham Palace, not to mention the skies above RAF Kenley, this year really has had its fair share of excitement and opportunity.

The year was certainly not slow to get underway as 270 pupils embarked on challenging but rewarding field days in October. In the army section, the Lower Fifth and the Lower Sixth travelled to Stoney Castle Training Area to practice fieldcraft, whilst the Upper Fifth undertook bushcraft and team-building challenges at Camelot in Dorking. The navy section visited HMS Collingwood in Portsmouth and enjoyed sailing as well as a visit to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum. By no means confined to the Autumn Term, however, field days continued to stretch and challenge cadets throughout the year. Perhaps one of the most challenging, yet the most rewarding, was the opportunity for three cadets in the RAF section to take to the skies over RAF Kenley in gliders. The RAF section also visited Walton Firs in March where they developed their unity and teamwork as a section, whilst, in the Army section, the Lower Fifth visited the range and the Upper Fifth took part in ‘Exercise Johnian Adventurer’, a military skills competition

in Bordon. Efforts did certainly not waver into the final few weeks of the academic year as the army section deployed to Hankley Common, in what was the culmination of all their field training throughout the year. The navy headed down to HMS Collingwood and saw the armouries at Fort Nelson and the RAF visited the RAF Museum in Hendon.

A particular highlight for the Cadet NCOs (NonCommissioned Officers) in the army section was Exercise Apollo Venture. Located at Bramley Training Centre, Hampshire, 14 cadets were put to the test in a 48-hour battle exercise consisting of close target reconnaissance patrols and an attack of a crashed Apache helicopter. A test of fieldcraft, teamwork, resilience and leadership, the cadets returned having enjoyed the opportunity to gain fantastic experience in the field. Six of these cadets, all of whom are considering a career in the armed forces, had the opportunity to further their interest by visiting Buckingham Palace in January. After having returned, it seemed as if the visit to the Officer’s mess had in fact overshadowed their behind-the-scenes viewing of the mounting of the King’s Guard and the tour of Wellington Barracks.

Whilst on the topic of food, the CCF dinner is always highly anticipated as I’m sure you can imagine given its title. This year’s guest was Brigadier Anthony Lamb MBE DL VR whose insight into life in the army was so fantastic to the extent that it even managed to captivate the interest of the cadets more so than the delicious threecourse meal prepared by the catering team. A wonderful meal it was. The Brigadier’s recent post as the National Colonel Cadets for the CCF and role as Contingent Commander at Brighton College CCF means his speech was full of purpose and praise for the cadet forces.

The year has certainly not been short of individual successes. CSM William McDonald was appointed Head of CCF for next year and alongside Colour Sergeant Will Setchell heads off to CTC Frimley Park in August as they aim to be the first cadets to complete the Master Cadet course. Henry Brown was appointed Head of RAF for next year, Ewan Collingbourne Head of Navy and Luke Incledon, alongside his appointment as School Captain, Head of Army. Particular congratulations must also be paid to, Head of Army Section this year, CSM Joe Campbell, who was awarded a highly coveted Army Scholarship to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Perhaps scraping this list is Mr Howarth and Mr Tapster, who both survived a week in a wet field in Frimley Park living like a Lower Fifth cadet which has seen them both promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, and Mr Howarth taking on the role of Head of the Army section next year. We must also say a final farewell to Lt Cdr Piers Vaughan who retires this year, with Lt Mooney taking on the reigns as OC. We wish Lt Cdr Vaughan all the best in their retirement.

However, perhaps the largest achievement (apologies Mr Howarth), was that achieved by St John’s School CCF as a collective on our annual Inspection Day. The meticulously prepared Guard of Honour to greet Captain (RN) Adam Clarke MBE, set the tone for the day and was followed by tours, the House Drill Competition, and lessons in the afternoon; taught by the senior cadets who had just completed their leadership courses and will be taking up positions of responsibility next year. Whilst the

weather unfortunately put a stop to the highly anticipated gun run, in which the three sections of the CCF compete against each other for pride, I was still very firmly ‘encouraged’ to mention the fact that the navy section won the trophy having shown the best teamwork in training and preparation for the gun run. Ultimately, the entire day epitomised the spirit of togetherness and resilience which CCF at St John’s School encapsulates. We, as a collective, are proud to say that Captain Clarke drew upon this spirit, as well as our values of resilience, self-discipline, and leadership in his remarks about the success of CCF.

It is this spirit and these values, as ever, that the St John’s School CCF community looks to bring forward in all it does next year as it continues to develop to bring the best out of all those who make up this community.

The year has been rounded up with an 80 strong, tri-service contingent heading to Yoxter Camp in the Mendip Hills for the annual summer camp. Cadets spent half of the week engaged with the central camp run by the Southwest Training Team, taking part in a whole range of activities such as archery, clay target, shooting and climbing. The remainder of the week we were engaged in Adventurous Training which saw some rock climbing and an array of water sports. In efforts to escape the weather and tented accommodation during the week, we even saw the new Indiana Jones film and went bowling! A terrific end to the year and a lot to look forward to next year!

Colour Sergeant Jack Hussey, Media NCO

A word from the Contingent Commander:

The 2022-23 academic year has been a terrific success across all three sections. It is incredibly rewarding for me and my staff team to see the achievements of cadets across their training, camps, and field days, and I am very excited for the year ahead.

Major James Hewitt Contingent Commander

OUTDOOR AND ADVENTUROUS ACTIVITIES

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

This year has seen some exciting new developments in the range of outdoor adventures the pupils have had the chance to enjoy. Our second cohort of Fourth Formers have been making headway on their Bronze DofE, and we recently went away to the Ashdown Forest with 110 pupils in some beautiful early summer weather where the teamwork and effort put in were truly exceptional. We have also had 100 Upper Fifth pupils making their way through a practice expedition in the Wye Valley, and a qualifying expedition in the Peak District. Alongside the expeditions, pupils have been working hard on the other sections of the Award, from sporting commitments in the Physical section, a huge range of activities from knitting to cooking in the Skills section, and a variety of inspiring Volunteering options.

Our Gold DofE participants range from Lower Sixth pupils just getting started, to Old Johnians at university who get in touch to finish the remainder of their Award. This year we have seen our first canoe-based expeditions, with a group of Lower Sixth heading out on their practice expedition at the end of the Easter Holidays. This should have been

on the Thames, but spectacularly poor weather meant the whole catchment was flooded and we had to divert first to a lake and then to the canal network. Their resilience and adaptability shone through, and they showed their training had paid off on their successful qualifying expedition down the River Wye in July. We have also had a walking expedition series, first heading to the Brecon Beacons in October which included a beautiful wild camp near the abandoned Neuadd Reservoir. Their qualifying expedition in Snowdonia/Eryri in July saw both groups summit Snowdon and wild camp in some brisk weather in the Glyderau. They truly engaged with the wild mountain landscape that is so central to the Gold DofE expedition experience.

Across all levels of the DofE, St John’s has had over 75 pupils achieve one of the Awards in the last year, including several at Gold who have been invited to collect their certificate and badge at one of the Royal Palaces. We celebrated all the fantastic achievements made this year at our annual dinner in May where our guest speaker Will enthused the pupils with adventurous tales of racing across the desert.

Skiing

It was fantastic this year to bring back the school ski trip after several years of absence due to Covid-19. Planning began a year ago, and at the end of March, we headed off to Auron in southern France for a week of skiing with 40 pupils. All abilities were invited, and this created some great camaraderie during the week, with the beginners setting themselves high aspirations for progression, and the advanced skiers challenging themselves to go even faster (not too fast for Mr Rao to keep up though).

As well as the five days of skiing on a fine selection of pistes looking out over the Mercantour National Park, we also engaged in some fun evening activities. The agenda was jampacked, from having crepes in the afternoon sun, swimming, a quiz night, karaoke/disco, and a games night with some highly vocal games of spoons and Uno.

Next year we have more than doubled the number of pupils on the ski trip by splitting it in two and running it for different year groups. It is great to see that there is so much enthusiasm for this type of adventure and that so many pupils who have never skied before are willing to give it a go. It also provides a good excuse to not only see the Alps but to practice French and Spanish!

Climbing

Thursday afternoons have seen the continuation of climbing as an option for the three senior years of Upper Fifth, Lower Sixth, and Upper Sixth, and the interest even got to a point where we had to secure a second minibus for these sessions. In addition, climbing was introduced as an option for the Lower Fifth on Tuesday afternoons, and it was excellent to see younger pupils begin their climbing journey. All sessions take place at the White Spider Climbing Centre in Surbiton, which has an excellent range of bouldering, top-rope climbing, and lead climbing. Our ambition next year is to provide opportunities not only to continue climbing as it is but to allow pupils to learn lead climbing, which provides key skills for a potential transition to outdoor climbing.

At the end of the Spring Term, we attended the Independent Schools’ Climbing Competition, organised by Eton College, held in Reading. Pupils spent the day competing on a wide range of auto-belay and bouldering routes, and we were one of only a few schools of the 17 present who brought both girls and boys to compete in the U18 and U16 categories. Overall, we came seventh, a fine place considering how many new climbers there were in the team.

ST JOHN’S

Across the Globe

During the Easter Holidays, we were thrilled to see pupils enjoy several opportunities to travel across the globe representing the School on sporting tours and enjoying a variety of exhilarating adventures. Having a global and local perspective is an important element in creating rounded, open-minded, and curious pupils who are socially aware and high-quality trips and expeditions add enormous value to a pupil’s time at St John’s.

Ski Trip

For the first time in four years, we were overjoyed to see the return of the annual ski trip! Forty pupils visited Auron in Southern France, where they were able to experience skiing in the magical surroundings of the authentic French ski resort. Pupils were a mix of all abilities, from total beginners to very experienced. All pupils showed a great level of progression during the week, and the beginners made it to the red runs by the last day!

“It was great to see pupils learning as well as skiing for fun – I saw groups trying out tricks, as well as doing a slalom race, and some even did a jump!” – Alex Kendall, Head of Outdoor and Adventurous Activities

Classics Trip to Athens

Pupils studying Classical Civilisation visited Athens, Greece, for four days and relished the unique experience of exploring Greece, the birthplace of European civilisation from the Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations which ruled Crete and the Aegean to the great Athenian philosophers including Plato and Aristotle of the Hellenistic period. The trip began in the capital, Athens, with a tour of this unique city, visiting the emblematic Acropolis with its museum, Propylaea Gate, Erechtheion Temple, and the Parthenon dedicated to goddess Athena.

From Athens, the group travelled to Olympia and explored its phenomenal archaeological site, surrounded by stunning scenery. Pupils then visited the Olympia archaeological site, which gives its name to the Olympic Games, as it was here where the first Greek Olympics were held in 776 BC to honour the God Zeus, King of Gods. The trip was packed with fun educational activities, tasty traditional foods such as loukoumades and souvlaki, and team competitions, all focused on creating a memorable link between pupils’ theoretical knowledge of ancient Greece and the phenomenal ancient monuments.

DofE Gold Canoeing

For the first time Gold DofE expeditioners had the choice between walking and canoeing! On Wednesday 12 April pupils headed off on their practice expedition, which due to flooding and red warnings on the Thames meant a last minute change of location to lakes near Dorchester and then to the Grand Union Canal. Pupils were taught basic canoe handling, group management, safety and emergency procedures, and everything else they needed to know to become independent canoeists. They had a lot of fun in the evenings with a large campfire and card games.

UAE Sport Tours

Cricketers from the Fourth Form through to the Sixth Form were excited to go on a fantastic tour to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The tour was an excellent opportunity to play cricket at a high level whilst making memories and enjoying new cultural experiences.

The tour involved fantastic fixtures against local schools including Dubai College and local clubs. Pupils were also able to enjoy a packed itinerary with further activities including a 4x4 desert safari, evening barbecue, and a day trip to the Wild Wadi Waterpark!

Alongside the cricket tour, the senior netball tour in Dubai and Abu Dhabi was also a huge success, with well-matched fixtures played at incredible facilities and wonderful excursions.

During the tour, five fixtures were played between the Dubai Sevens Stadium and the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. In addition to this, pupils had a mixture of training sessions which included skills sessions, strength and conditioning, pool recovery, CrossFit, and a morning of paddle boarding on the Palm! During rest days pupils enjoyed exploring the culture of the UAE at the Jumeriah Mosque, and had great fun visiting Yas Waterworld, Yas Marina Grand Prix Track and Dubai Mall.

Shamwari Conservation Trip

A group of Lower Sixth pupils spent two weeks at the world-renowned Shamwari game park in South Africa. The conservation trip is a unique and exciting opportunity where pupils are given the chance to work alongside the conservation team, with a focus on making a difference.

Pupils helped the conservation team with tasks such as alien vegetation removal, road maintenance, and supporting the long-term projects and ambitions of the reserve. During safari drives, pupils learnt tracking skills and whilst learning more about conservation, animal trade and poaching, they were lucky enough to have sightings of the big five!

“The night sky was a breathtaking canvas of stars, and the sounds of the bush came alive around us. We were treated to the rumbling of a herd of elephants in a field, with the sound of a hippo grunting in the distance. It was a truly magical experience, and we felt privileged to be able to witness the natural beauty of this magnificent country under the stars.

We made memories which I am sure will go on to shape our futures for the better. South Africa is an experience that I will never forget, I long to bask in the harsh rays of the sun once again and witness the majesty of the wild. We may have left South Africa, but South Africa will stay with us forever.”

– Gregory Vandromme (read more on page 92)

As we disembarked from our luxurious chariot, otherwise known as an aeroplane, we found ourselves in the town of East London, South Africa. The sun greeted us with open arms, saying ‘welcome to our humble abode’. As we made our way towards the exit, we couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement stirring within us. South Africa, with its vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes, was beckoning us to explore.

As we stepped out of the airport, we were greeted by our taxi driver – Rodwin. The drive gave us our first sights of South Africa, with rolling hills and stunning scenery all around. As we began to approach our lodging the sun started to set, casting a golden glow across the tundra. impala, zebra, and kudu alike greeted us as we drove along the country roads.

As we settled into our lodge, we were introduced to the rangers who would guide us for the rest of our journey. We met Klaus, who was a charismatic man with a wealth of knowledge. Roy, hailing from the Netherlands, was a fatherlike character who told us stories of his many experiences in the area. And then there was Simphiwe, a local ranger who had grown up in the area and knew every inch of the land like the back of his hand. Together, they made an impressive team, and we knew that we were in good hands. We couldn't wait to embark on our first safari with them and discover all that this beautiful country had to offer. But first, we were privy to a fabulous dinner, consisting of a chicken kebab, glazed in a wonderful, sweet BBQ sauce and a cut of lamb, roasted in rosemary. To top the whole day off, we finally reached our quaint, cosy abodes, housing four people each with a spectacular view off into the lands of the Eastern Cape.

The next morning, we were up before the sun, eager to embark on our first day of adventure. We eagerly awaited the unveiling of our schedule, which would dictate the structure of our lives for the next two weeks. Our day began with a ‘monitoring’ session, a safari-like experience with a twist: our knowledgeable rangers provided an outstanding education, teaching us how to identify animals such as elephants and track them by examining signs left behind such as tracks, dung, and damage to the surrounding environment. This thrilling activity was to be a regular part of our itinerary. On our first day, we were treated to the sight of tranquil impalas. We were also privileged to see our first lion, hippo, and elephant. After this unforgettable experience, we savoured a delectable lunch while gazing at the picturesque scenery, illuminated by the blazing sun for miles around. The second half of our day was spent doing manual labour, clearing foreign pine trees that had been brought in by Americans for the furniture industry, but were now consuming excessive amounts of water in the area.

We repeated this daily pattern until Friday, at which point we were treated to our first community day. We played football with the local kids, who were unbelievably good at the game for their age, quickly outpacing and outplaying our best players. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our game.

As the sun began to set on the African savannah, we eagerly anticipated our first night-time safari drive. The darkness added an extra layer of mystery and excitement to the experience. Armed with powerful spotlights, we set off in our open vehicle, ready to explore the wilderness after dark. The night sky was a breathtaking canvas of stars, and the sounds of the bush came alive around us. We were treated to the rumbling of a herd of elephants in a field, with the sound of hippo grunting in the distance. It was a truly magical experience, and we felt privileged to be able to witness the natural beauty of this magnificent country under the stars.

Having spent a full week on manual labour and exercise, we were all glad to reach our first weekend, where we went to the beach, spending the day kayaking,

stand up paddleboarding, and sand boarding, a fun experience akin to snowboarding. All in all, we spent a fun day in the sun, with everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves.

We were privileged to be repeating this routine for another week over, basking in the sunlight and views, feeling well rewarded for our work at the end of each day, be it filling in potholes or cutting down prickly pears. This made it understandably difficult to throw it all to the wind, leaving the sights, people, and scenery behind us for good. We said a heartfelt goodbye to our rangers, followed by another taxi journey with our faithful taxi driver, Rodwin. And then, as though nothing had happened, we boarded the aeroplane that took us away from this land, leaving behind the place, but never leaving behind the memories, memories which I am sure will go on to shape our futures for the better. South Africa is an experience that I will never forget, I long to bask in the harsh rays of the sun once again and witness the majesty of the wild. We may have left South Africa, but South Africa will stay with us forever.

– Gregory Vandromme (Lower Sixth)

South Africa

Shamwari Conservation Trip

FUTURE PREPARATION and Careers

at St John’s 2022-2023

Pupils at St John’s from the Lower Third all the way to the Upper Sixth have had a variety of opportunities to gain insights into careers and reflect on their decision-making for the future this academic year, including through lessons, workshops, and trips, and they have embraced these with typical Johnian enthusiasm.

Careers Convention

The biggest event of the careers calendar was the Careers Convention in early October. This was the first time St John’s was able to host such a large-scale careers event since the Covid-19 lockdown, and we were delighted to welcome over 60 representatives from a wide variety of fields, including alumni, parents, and members of the local community. The Careers Convention gave pupils the chance to speak to delegates from the professions in which they were interested, ask personalised questions, and make connections for future work experience. Feedback from pupils was extremely positive. For instance, an Upper Sixth pupil, Chloe, commented ‘it is so helpful and useful. There was a nice range of people to talk to and they were all so lovely, kind and engaging.’ The event would not have been possible without all of those who gave up their time to assist and we are extremely grateful to them for doing so.

Careers and Skills Workshops

In addition to the Careers Convention, St John’s hosted a number of smaller Careers Workshops over the course of the year for pupils from the Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth. These focused on a range of professions, including law, research science, consulting, marketing, and business. We were thrilled that highly successful professionals and representatives from well-known companies such as Accenture and Unilever were able to come to give pupils a taste of what working in different industries involves. On the October Enrichment Day, Lower Sixth pupils were given the chance to gain insights into the

job application process, whilst in November those intending to study Medicine at university attended a Medicine Interview Skills day, enabling them to practise tasks such as delivering bad news to a patient and medical ethical decision-making. Prospective future engineers had the chance to gain hands-on insight into the profession during their trip to the Sandy Gunn Engineering event at Epsom College, whilst those interested in Law and Politics visited the Supreme Court and took part in a pertinent debate on ‘stop and search’.

University Preparation and Trips

At St John’s, we pride ourselves on ensuring pupils are well-prepared for their UCAS applications or other future choices. With increasing numbers of pupils interested in alternatives to UK universities, we helped them understand more about the process with a talk from a current student at the prestigious Ivy League University, Brown, as well as our American Universities and Apprenticeships Evening, which included speakers from A-List, Aspire, and Edvice talking about US applications. Representatives from Jaguar Land Rover and Unilever attended to discuss the apprenticeships route. All Lower Sixth pupils were able to gain insights into a variety of universities by speaking to representatives at the Surrey Universities Fair in March, whilst their trip to Sussex University in April helped them gain greater understanding of university life on a campus. These visits, in addition to in-school talks from representatives from the universities of Bath and Warwick and the personal statement morning in June, has put the Lower Sixth in a strong position for their forthcoming UCAS applications. Prospective Oxbridge applicants were privileged to attend a residential trip to Oxford University in the last week of the Summer Term; staying in the infamous Christ Church College, meeting tutors, attending lectures, and taking part in the quintessential tradition of punting enabled them to experience some of the best parts of student life first-hand!

Careers for Key Stage Three

Careers provision at St John’s begins in the Lower School and pupils in the Lower and Upper Third enjoyed talks on the diverse range of jobs, as well as using their careers enrichment lessons to reflect on how and why the job market is changing and the emerging jobs of the future. Fourth Form pupils experienced a Careers Carousel Morning, where they took part in workshops from professionals working in highly popular industries, including business, engineering, finance, healthcare, law, media, marketing, and medicine. These workshops enabled them to complete practical, ‘real world’ tasks and the representatives praised their high levels of engagement. Rick Liddell KC, who delivered the law workshop, commented ‘I thought the sessions went really well, and I was very impressed by the pupils’ enthusiasm’.

Extra-curricular Careers Provision

Pupils have also enjoyed a plethora of opportunities to gain insight into some of the most popular careers through the extensive St John’s extra-curricular activities programme. Eleven pupils experienced what it is like to be a journalist by taking part in the Young Reporter Scheme, writing eight articles on local news stories which were published in an online newspaper: This is Local London. Particular congratulations goes to Lower Sixth pupil Jack, who was a finalist in the Young Reporter competition from thousands of entrants.

Engineering enthusiasts developed their theoretical understanding in Physics and Engineering Club, whilst they developed their practical skills in the national CANSAT competition, for which they created their own satellite. For the second year in a row, the team was highly successful, and they were delighted to win the Highest Technical Achievement Award.

Law Society was a popular activity this year, with pupils discussing a wide range of legal concepts and cases, as well as taking part in their own mock trial. For those who are more scientifically minded, MedSoc enabled the potential future doctors and vets of St John’s to engage with the issues facing the NHS and some of the conditions they might encounter in the future, whilst psychology enthusiasts entered the Royal Holloway Psychology Competition. The range of activities in which pupils involve themselves demonstrates their excellent motivation and commitment.

We are extremely proud of all that St John’s pupils have partaken in this year to help them prepare for the future and are hugely grateful to all the representatives who have dedicated their time to enable these opportunities to happen. If you would be willing to help with careers provision at St John’s next year, please contact Lula Teunissen, Head of Careers, via email: lteunissen@stjohns.surrey.sch.uk

EPQ

For our Sixth Form pupils, The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an optional extra that they can choose to take alongside their A level subjects, which aims to promote academic skills and independent learning and is a single piece of work that pupils choose to undertake on a topic of their choosing. Throughout their EPQ, pupils develop skills that are transferrable to undergraduate learning such as dissertation writing, planning, academic research, presentation skills, and time management.

Choosing to do the EPQ alongside their A level studies is a significant undertaking for pupils. The course sees pupils attend workshops to learn more about the research required, whilst they decide upon their specific focus for their independent work, which often compliments existing subject studies or the course they wish to apply for at university. With ongoing support and supervision, pupils complete an independent study culminating in either a dissertation of around 5,000 words or the creation of an artefact with supporting analysis.

On Wednesday 3 May, Lower Sixth pupils were invited to present their EPQ at a presentation evening. Pupils were thrilled to celebrate and showcase their research to several guests from the St John’s community, including their teachers and parents.

Now an established part of the EPQ, the marketplace presentation offers pupils an opportunity to engage with assembled guests as the experts in the room. One of the main benefits of doing an EPQ is the opportunity to learn skills that will be an assistance for tertiary education: research, referencing, evaluating sources, and time management, and the pupils were particularly adept at thinking on their feet.

– Richard Harvey, Head of EPQ

“EPQ has been an excellent experience for me to delve deep into a topic of interest, having not taken the subject at A level. I did my EPQ on the demand for mental health services, which sparked a massive interest in me. For me, this was one of the driving points as to why I am now going on to study psychology at university. Although it was not an easy experience, choosing something I was interested in made my project much more enjoyable.”

– EPQ Pupil

EPQ was one of the most challenging yet rewarding projects I have done. It was an excellent lesson in staying disciplined and managing your own time, with more independence than other aspects of school life. EPQ nurtured great research skills and a willingness for learning that is priceless. My project focused on the NHS and questioned whether there was any bias against certain demographics, and after researching thoroughly I could discuss both sides of the arguments competently in my presentation, which is just another invaluable skill that I gained during this project.

– EPQ Pupil

This year, pupil’s projects have explored a fantastic range of topics and questions as diverse as:

‘How can the placebo effect offer a non-pharmalogical therapeutic pathway treatment within the healthcare system?’

‘Was fear the most significant factor influencing the global herding responses to the Covid-19 pandemic?’

“What has been the most influential factor that has led to the recent growth in popularity of streetwear.”

'By comparing and contrasting the Boeing 747 and Aérospatiale / BAe Concorde, evaluate the importance of their constituent parts in enabling them to fulfil their commercial roles.'

'The New York Times estimates over 100 cities worldwide have made the shift to free public transport. Evaluate to what extent this policy is viable for London's Transport system in 2023'

‘Should voluntary active euthanasia be legal in the UK with particular focus from an ethical and legal standpoint?’

‘Which is the most effective treatment of Alzheimer's - drug or alternative treatments?’

‘Should we have a single global currency?’

‘Evaluate the positive and negative impacts that social media has had and is having on young people aged 11-30 in the years 20172023 and assess how far this has been positive or detrimental.’

‘By analysing Oscar-winning films from 2011-2021, explore how far and in what ways there is diversity in cinema.’

‘Which country has the most successful prison system?’

‘An analysis of how architecture and design has improved to help prevent significant damage to buildings and property during natural disasters. (and is it sufficient enough?)’

‘Saudi Arabia’s investment in sport: A sign of a diversifying economy or a country looking to cover-up human rights violations through sportswashing?’

In the sporting year of 2022/2023, the school broke every participation and fixture record ever seen.

We also welcomed back the opportunity for our major sports to tour the globe with hockey visiting Holland, rugby in France and cricket and netball competing across the UAE.

From our U12E’s to National Finalists, none of this would be possible if it were not for the passion, commitment, and vital contributions of our dedicated members of staff.

Teams have shown passion, commitment, and energy, and with the support of our highly skilled and experienced coaches, we are proud to have celebrated a huge amount of success.

Gareth James Director of Sport

• U12 Surrey Cup Boys Winners

• U13 ISFA National Cup Boys Quarter Finalists

• U14A, U16A runners up and 2nd XI Boys League Champions

• U15 ISFA Girls Winners

• The U13-15 enjoyed a magnificent October Half Term Tour in Holland

• 1st XI National ISHC Plate Girls Winners

• U16 England Hockey Tier 1 Girls National Cup Semi-Finalists

• U14 England Tier 2 National Girls Cup Winners

CRICKET

Highlights

• U14/15 and Senior XI enjoyed their Pre-Season Tour of the UAE

• U14 Boys Surrey Cup Winners

• U15 Girls Surrey Cup Winners

• U12 Girls Surrey Cup Semi Finalists

• 1st XI runners up at the annual Adrian Gale Cricket Festival

Highlights

• The U15 and Seniors enjoyed a fantastic tour of the UAE

• U12 National Cup Finalists – Runners up

• U14 and U16 Surrey Finalists

• 1st VII National Plate Quarter Finalists

• The U14D team had an unbeaten season

RUGBY

Highlights

• The 1st VII reached the final 64 elimination game at Rosslyn Park Sevens, narrowly missing out on qualifying for day two by just two points

• Our U14 celebrated becoming the Surrey Cup winners. Winning the tournament against many strong schools is an incredible feat, but doing so without conceding a single point in the knockouts was even more of a huge achievement

• U15 Rugby 7s side won the Merchant Taylors Sevens Invitational Cup competition

• U12 Surrey Cup Winners of their waterfall tournament

Rugby Cricket

TOUCH 2TWICKENHAM

The Touch2Twickenham competition is an exciting new mixed-gender, non-contact tournament aimed at broadening participation within rugby.

St John’s hosted one of the 12 regional events in May, with 16 local schools and over 200 players in attendance. 27 members of the Fourth Form were involved, playing across three St John’s sides, whilst nine members of the Lower Sixth volunteered to referee the festival. The tournament was basked in glorious sunshine, with music and lots of quick games making for an enjoyable day.

St John’s qualified for the national finals as a ‘wildcard’ entry, based on performance but also the spirit and ethos within which they played. A squad of 12 players from the Fourth Form, comprising of six boys and six girls, were accompanied by three of the Lower Sixth volunteer referees as they made the journey to Worcester’s Sixways stadium for finals day on Thursday 22 June.

The team competed alongside 14 other schools, spread across three pools of five in the morning. The St John’s side was highly

impressive, with a commitment to high-speed running rugby, great interplay between the boys and girls, and phenomenal support play showcasing an exceptional team camaraderie. Having finished the morning at the top of the pool, the side progressed to the afternoon stages in a re-seeded top tier. The team picked up where they left off, playing excellent attacking rugby, whilst adding some resolute defence and deft touches, with one particular try that the Fijian 7s team would have been proud of! The team finished the afternoon with three wins and a draw to again top the pool and see them crowned as Wildcard Champions!

This was a phenomenal effort from the players, as well as the Lower Sixth group who showed excellent maturity in managing highly competitive games in the baking sunshine.

The side was presented their trophy by Love Island winner, teacher, and RFU ambassador Kai Fagan and has now been invited to play at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 12 August 2023 in England’s Men’s Rugby World Cup warm-up game against Wales.

Liam St John, Director of Rugby

Highlights

Surrey Schools and National Schools - Surrey Schools

Podium Results as follows:

Fourth Form

• Tom Mythen 2nd in the 1500m final with 4 min 31.59 sec

• Matthew Wehrle 3rd in the 300m final with 38.4 sec

Lower Fifth

• Millie Dryburgh 4th in the 100m final with 12.5 (equalling school record)

• Skye Hair 3rd in the long jump final with 4.72m

• Lily Richardson 1st in the 200m final with 25.6 (awaiting English Schools National Selection Confirmation)

Sixth Form

Athletics ATHLETICS

• Andrew Carello 2nd in the 110m hurdles final with 19.58

• Rory Davidson 3rd in the 800m final with 2 min 14.20

• Phoebe Sharman 2nd in the 100m final with 14.0

OTHER SPORTS

This academic year has once again seen us offer our pupils a vast amount of meaningful variety through the games programme. With dance, yoga, climbing, golf, cross-country, badminton, boot camps, and shooting all on offer pupils have a fantastic opportunity to choose from outside of our major sporting options.

This academic year has seen the continual development of our golf programme. With fixtures and competitions held both regionally and nationally. Our golfers have had an impressive start on the school’s circuit, and I have no doubt that this will be a sport that continues to grow here at St John’s. In the pool, it was great to be back visiting and hosting schools’ gala events. The highlight of the season included the senior girls claiming silver at the 4x50 freestyle national finals at the London Aquatic Centre as part of the National ESSA competition.

Sports Day2023

The annual sports day was held at the Excel Centre in Walton-on-Thames. The day saw over 500 pupils from across the School compete in the traditional track and field events as well as some more inclusive fun races which included the wooden spoon, bean bag, and sack race. Pupils competed for points for their houses, with many going on to set new house and school records for individual times and distances. The atmosphere was simply outstanding with pupils cheering every athlete as they competed for the newly created trophies with the results below.

PRE-LOVED KIT DONATIONS

We were delighted to have supported an Old Johnian, Luke, by collecting a fantastic amount of pre-loved balls and kits from our school community. We were proud to see the kit in use during his recent tour to South Africa, where he is coaching a township school. Earlier this year, we also donated more of our pre-loved kit to SOS Kit Aid, which supports similar projects throughout Eastern Europe and Africa.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

A Victorian photo album continued...

Further images and stories of the first pupils to join the School at Leatherhead in 1872, from a collection of Victorian CDV (carte de visite) photo cards belonging to OJ Augustus Edward Crowder (St John’s School 1870-1875). See The Johnian 2022 pp 97–99.

The Reverend Canon James Henry Browne was at the School at Clapton House for four years before the move to Leatherhead in 1872. He was Captain of the School and captain of cricket and football. In 1874, when he was 16 (the age at which he was due to leave under the rules of the Foundation), he joined the teaching staff and taught the Second Form for one year. He then taught at Chigwell Grammar School for a short while before taking up a place at Emmanuel College, Cambridge where he gained a BA in 1880 and was ordained in the same year. The Reverend Browne was appointed vicar of St Andrew’s, Stockwell in 1892, of Roehampton in 1906 and of St Luke’s Richmond, from 1924 until he retired in 1931. He was Honorary Canon of Southwark from 1905.

Canon Browne was a lifelong supporter of the School, was twice elected President of the Old Johnian Club, and was the first OJ to be elected a member of the School Council on which he served for many years. He died on 26 February 1946, aged 88.

Canon Browne’s son was also a pupil at St John’s from 1903 to 1908. Richard Maddison Browne played for the 2nd XI football and cricket teams and on leaving School found employment with the Bank of England. He served as 2nd Lieutenant with the Liverpool Regiment in the Great War and was wounded at Ypres in 1915.

Ernest Alex Brooke Williams, son of the Reverend A Williams of Cerne Abbas, Dorset joined the School at Leatherhead in 1872 and left in 1877. He married Laura Georgina Coverley in 1888. Their daughter Catherine Lillias Coverley Brooke Williams was born in 1890 but sadly died in 1891. A second daughter, Wayne Leslie Coverley Brooke Williams was born in 1893 and died in 1989 aged 95. The annual census for 1891 shows that Ernest was a Freemason, and he gave his occupation as ‘wine shipper’. By 1911 he was lodging at 82 St George’s Road, southwest London and gave his occupation as medical publishing. The 1921 census shows him aged 59 living at 74 Belgrave Road, St George's Hanover Square, London with his cousin Annie Letitia Treby Clark, a milliner and dressmaker. Ernest is self-employed and his occupation is described as ‘literary’.

Charles Osborne Lubbock Power was the youngest of nine children of the Reverend Alexander Le Poer Bath Power and his wife Louisa Elizabeth Bath. He joined the School at Clapton in 1869 and left Leatherhead in 1874, a year before this photograph was taken. His father was Principal of the Norwich diocesan normal school from 1840 to 1857, and Chaplain to the 5th Earl of Bessborough, John George Brabazon Ponsonby from 1868 to 1872. The Reverend Power died at the Consumptive Hospital, Victoria Park, Middlesex on 21 November 1872, just three months after Charles joined the School at Leatherhead. Charles left St John’s in 1874 and in October 1888, married Gertrude Frances Drury in Lewisham. They settled in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, and Charles became a successful wine shipper. He and Gertrude had two children, Charles and Sheila. Charles Osborne Lubbock Power died at Funchal on 20 March 1929 and probate was granted to his widow Gertrude and son Charles Alexander Le Poer Power, wine merchant. Records show that he left effects of £23,449.

Houcher Ager, the third son of the Reverend William Ager, was born in Barningham, Suffolk in 1860. His mother died when he was six, leaving his father with five children to support. Cecil joined St John’s Foundation School as a Foundationer at Clapton House in 1871, moving to Leatherhead in 1872.

Cecil Ager left school in 1876 and found employment as a mercantile clerk. He died in 1894, aged 34.

The Reverend Canon James Henry Browne 1858 – 1946

Ernest Alex Brooke Williams 1862 – unknown

James Henry Browne, 1875 aged 18. Ernest Alex Brooke Williams, 1875 aged 13

Charles O L Power

1858 – 1929

Cecil Houcher Ager 1860 – 1894

Cecil

Cecil Houcher Ager, 1875 aged 15

Charles Osborne Lubbock Power, 1875 aged 18

Alfred Thomas Fisher 1861 – 1944

William Harvey, son of the Reverend E G Harvey, of Mullion Vicarage, Cornwall, also joined St John’s at Clapton House in 1871.

He left Leatherhead in 1874 and graduated from Hertford College Oxford in 1878. George Harvey settled in Canada and worked as a Law Clerk in the town of Forest, Ontario, where he died on 16 March 1941 at the age of 90.

Alfred Thomas Fisher, eldest son of the Reverend W Fisher of Penarth, came to St John’s in 1872. He played for the 1st Cricket XI in 1875 and 1876 and for the 1st XV in 1876. He left in 1877. Alfred married Emily Marianne in 1889 and in 1911 at the age of 50, they were living at 23 Kimberley Road, Cardiff with their daughter, Kathleen. Alfred was then employed as a brewer’s traveller, but by 1925 he was becoming known as a watercolour and landscape artist and received a glowing review in the Western Mail for his exhibition of paintings. The 1939 census describes him as a ‘retired artist’.

He died on 19 August 1944 aged 93.

As a community, we send our heartfelt thoughts to those affected by the fire, including Kate Harrison, Vicar of St Mark's since 2015. As our first home, it holds a special place in the School ’ s history and we will reflect on the part it played in our evolution over the coming days when we gather together in Chapel.

– Rebecca Evans, Acting Head

ST MARK � S FIRE

The St John's School community were deeply saddened to see the news of the devastating fire at St Mark’s Church in Hamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood.

Eighty firefighters were deployed at 11.20pm on Thursday 26 January 2023 to battle the blaze at the 177-year-old church and save the remains of this beautiful architectural and historical treasure. It is one of the landmarks of the area and The National Churches Trust is hopeful that some of the precious interior decoration including the stunning mosaics and memorials can be salvaged and reused if the church can be rebuilt. No injuries have been reported and the exact cause of the fire remains unknown at this stage.

The church holds huge significance to our history; consecrated in June 1847, our connection began in 1851, when St John’s School was founded there by Reverend Ashby Haslewood with the dual purpose of offering free education to the sons of poor clergymen and to provide a choir for his large church.

The first headmaster was the Reverend Anthony Thomson (headmaster 1852-1857), curate of St Mark’s and the first eight boys, known as ‘Foundationers’, joined the School in January 1852.

In 1935, at the School’s current Leatherhead location, a new building with fourteen classrooms three laboratories and two lecture theatres was opened on the site of the old kitchen garden. In 2010 it was named The Hamilton Building in memory of the School's first home in Hamilton Terrace. Haslewood House, host to one of our girls’ houses, is named after Reverend Ashby Haslewood.

Pupils took part in fundraising activities, and we continue to seek ways in which our community can support St Mark’s.

Alfred Thomas Fisher, 1875 aged 15

George William Harvey, 1874 aged 13

George William Harvey 1860 – 1941

George

Around 100 years ago:

The School Mission at Walworth

Towards the end of 1923, the idea of a School Mission was proposed by OJs working in Bethnal Green and Walworth, South London. Nathaniel Edwards, the enthusiastic and charismatic vicar of St John the Evangelist, Walworth, spoke of the need and opportunities for such work in his own parish.

The Bishop of Southwark heartily approved of the formation of a school mission in his diocese and on 30 January 1924, a resolution was passed that the School and the OJ club should assist those already working in Walworth and raise money during the year by concerts, collections, and subscriptions. The first annual report of the Leatherhead School Mission at Walworth notes:

‘The parish consists of small houses and also large tenement blocks of dwellings, which are largely occupied by the very poor, and there is great scope for its work.’

The headmaster, The Reverend E A Downes said:

“Such missions are an endeavour on the part of the fortunately placed to do something for those who have far fewer chances in life than they; and, on the principle that service does as much good to the giver as to the recipient, to add new vigour to school life.”

In addition to the Scouts and Cubs and many other organisations for younger boys, there were three clubs running: Boys, 14 to 16; Juniors, 16 to 18; and Seniors. St John’s School Mission decided to concentrate on the Boys’ Club in the first instance and ran summer camps for the boys.

Annual Whit Monday visits to Leatherhead by members of the parish were soon established. Around 300 parishioners of Walworth travelled to the School by train to play cricket and tennis, swim, picnic on the Senior Field, and have tea (generously provided by members of the School Council) in the Dining Hall. Older members of the community were treated to ‘joy rides’ into the surrounding countryside in masters’ cars. The day finished with a concert given by senior boys and a service of thanksgiving in the Chapel.

John Downton (East House 1925 – 1933) wrote of his memories of the Whit Monday visits to Leatherhead:

“I well remember Mr Southam watching anxiously as his Morris Cowley open two-seater with dickey was loaded to the gunwales with overweight ladies, watching the back springs going flatter and flatter. They all pick nicked (sic) in the senior field; and on the following day instead of PT in the morning break we were all lined up right across the field, arm’s length apart, under Sergeant Major Lindsell, to �sweep� the length of the field, picking up the litter.”

In June each year, the headmaster and the School Choir visited Walworth for the Missioner’s Church Dedication Festival. They took part in the procession around the Parish and the evening service and had tea in the Institute. John Downton remembered that the church had a good choir of its own saying: "We used to sing an anthem and Stanford’s or Smarts’ Te Deum at the end, both choirs together."

Mission camps were organised in the summer holidays where boys from St John’s volunteered to help and camped alongside the children of the Walworth parish. John Downton and his twin brother, Alfred, attended the summer camp at Aldeburgh in 1931 and at Cuckmere Haven in 1933. The report of the 1931 Aldeburgh camp in The Johnian, is full of praise for the Downton brothers:

“On Monday nearly all the younger members of the camp went to a circus, providentially in Aldeburgh at the time. An event rivalling this in importance and general interest was the arrival of the Missioner, supported by �Quack� Griffin (the latter immediately assuming his timehonoured duties as camp doctor), and of the two Downtons, supported by their bicycles. From the time of their arrival to the end of camp, the Downtons were invaluable members of the staff. As lamp trimmers they are unsurpassed, and their efficiency in the canteen was remarkable.”

Nathaniel Edwards died suddenly in 1935 and his loss was keenly felt by the parish and all who knew him. John Downton described him as ‘a saintly man, full of kindness and love, but also a man of great drive.’

After the Second World War, the School Mission struggled to find volunteers to help run the various boys’ clubs and the building had become dilapidated due to restrictions on repair and redecoration work. In the late 1950s, questions were being asked about the value of School and College missions in the new era of the welfare state and the redistribution of wealth that had taken place since the war.

So, from 1960 onwards, the School began to focus instead on social service in the local community. A report in the Johnian for 1964 describes the nature of the work undertaken by St John’s pupils in the Leatherhead parish:

“The group working in the parish has grown considerably. Between thirty and forty boys are now involved on Friday afternoons and it is now necessary for one boy to be fully employed on administration, allocation, and recording of work done.”

Boys’ Club at Walworth, 1939

The Reverend N W A Edwards

St John's Church Walworth, 1865 © London Metropolitan Archives (City of London).

The School Mission Camp at Aldeburgh, 1931

Leatherhead in Walworth Annual Report, 1947

The School Mission Camp Cookhouse at Aldeburgh, 1931

Surrey House 75

Founded in September 1948, and located in part of the east wing of the main school building, Surrey House has the distinction of being the first dedicated day house for boys. Until the 1940s, St John’s was almost exclusively a boarding school with just a handful of day boys who were attached to existing boarding houses. Between 1940 and 1950, the number of day boys began to increase. Records show that in 1940 there were 261 pupils of whom 40 were day boys, in 1945 there were 251 pupils including 50 day boys, and by 1950 the School roll had increased to 321 of whom 55 were day boys.

A photograph held in the School archives shows the pupils who made up the first intake of Surrey boys in September 1948 with their Housemaster, Mr D G Ellis-Jones. Those who were already day pupils within boarding houses, moved from their old house to become the inaugural Surrey House pupils. A typewritten list of names of those first pupils, dated January 1949, is also held in our archives.

An insight into the challenge of establishing the only day House at that time is revealed in the tribute to Dennis Ellis-Jones on his death in 1987. His colleague and successor as Housemaster of Surrey, Gerry Evans wrote:

“Up to that point day boys were expected to count it an honour to be accepted as second-class citizens of St John�s. The best that could be said of them was that some of them seemed quite bright, but only scientists, of course. Their day rooms and studies, grudgingly granted as necessary evils, were dotted about the place: that was the general style in those days.”

However, it was not long before Surrey House started to make its mark, taking part in a variety of House events: singing, shooting, swimming, running, and achieving favourable reviews in the House plays. The Surrey Colts team won the ‘Codder’ (cross country competition) in the Spring of 1949 and, as its contribution towards the House Plays, Surrey House Dramatic Society presented ‘The Crimson Coconut,’ an absurdity by Ian Hay.

In 1953, Surrey chose a melodrama, ‘The Bishop� s Candlesticks’, a one-act play by Norman Mckinnel, based on an incident in Victor Hugo�s ‘Les Miserables’. The adjudicator praised the acting of the main characters but commented:

“Surrey certainly extracted every line of comedy and pathos out of the play in a singularly polished production of Mr. D. G. Ellis Jones, and yet the message of the play never really got over to the School who collapsed in gales of laughter at some of the most touching points in the play.”

"Lastly, a word on the costumes. These were really excellent and will set a very high standard for future productions. The Surrey House achievement in this line is all the more notable in that only the Bishop�s cassock was borrowed, all the rest of the costumes were home-made to fit the fashions of the early 19th century."

The Bishop’s Candlesticks 1953. L-R I MacKenzie (Persome); K W Edwards (Sergeant of the Gendarmes) S V M Clube (Convict); R S Richardson (Bishop); G M Courtin (Gendarme); G B Browne (Marie)

L-R R S Richardson; S V M Clube L-R K W Edwards; S V M Clube; G M Courtin

110 The Johnian 2023

111 The Johnian 2023

Surrey House, September 1948

40 Years ago… St John’s Music Poll

A look back at the musical tastes of St John’s pupils from The Johnian, 1984. The School was around half the size it is now and predominately a boys’ boarding school. Girls were not admitted until 1989!

Band of �82/83

1. Men at Work

2. Asia

3. Tears for Fears

4. Duran Duran

5. Dire Straits

6. AC/DC

7. Rush

8. Saxon

9. Bob Marley & the Wailers 10. Genesis Favourite Female Artist

1. Olivia Newton-John 2. Bonnie Tyler

3. Boy George 4. Pat Benatar

5. Joan Armatrading

6. Tracie Ullman

7. Kim Wilde

8. Diana Ross

9. Siouxsie

10. Hilda Ogden

Favourite Album �82/83

1. Let�s Dance – David Bowie

2. Final Cut – Pink Floyd

3. Thriller – Michael Jackson

4. Asia – Asia

5. Love Over Gold – Dire Straits

6. Rio – Duran Duran

7. Waiting – Fun Boy Three

8. Piece of Mind – Iron Maiden

9. Business as Usual – Men at Work

10. The Eagle has Landed – Saxon Favourite Type of Music

1. Light Rock

2. Pop

3. Heavy Metal

4. Disco

5. New Wave/Futurist

6. Punk

7. Folk

8. Reggae

4. Bruce Dickinson

5. Ritchie Blackmore

6. Bob Marley

7. Simon le Bon

8. Ozzy Osbourne

9. George Benson

10. Angus Young

9. Jazz Favourite Male Artist 1. David Bowie 2. Michael Jackson 3. Phil Collins

Favourite Single �82/83

1. Down Under – Men at Work

2. Beat It – Michael Jackson

3. Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley and the Wailers

4. Let�s Dance – David Bowie

5. Africa – Toto

6. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

7. Mad World – Tears for Fears

8. Rosanna – Toto

9. Every Breath You Take – Police

10. Words – F. R. David

I set out on this poll project with two main objectives in mind: firstly, to attempt to find something interesting with which to fill the pages of the Johnian, and secondly, to prove that St John�s was essentially a Heavy Metal school. Many of you will undoubtedly consider that I have failed on both counts, but what is clear from the results is that our school contains a wide variety of tastes in music ranging from the Head Bangers to the Futurists to the Psychedelics. Neil Russell-Bates (Surrey, 1979-84)

St John�s Music Poll 1983

Head of Science, Housemaster,

Mountaineer, and member of the Alpine Club

Tom Peacocke

In May 2023, we were delighted to add the pewter tankard presented to Tom Peacocke by East House on his retirement as Housemaster in July 1963, to our archive collection. Thanks are due to Graham Jackman (East House 1961–65) for his kind donation. Graham also gave us the alpine walking/ mountaineering stick which Tom used on his frequent walking and climbing expeditions. As well as being a distinguished scientist (his work on Atomic and Nuclear Chemistry was published by Pergamon in 1967), Tom Peacocke was a member of the Alpine Club and author of a book on Mountaineering (Volume 29 in the Sportsman’s Library) published in 1941. He inaugurated the Mountaineering Club at St John’s in the summer of 1947 which flourished under his leadership as Vice President, until his retirement in 1970.

Staff, Summer 1960

Heritage

OPEN DAY

We were delighted to welcome visitors to St John’s on Saturday 17 September 2022 for our Heritage Open Day events.

OJs from the 1960s and 1980s, parents of OJs, former members of staff, current parents and local residents were among those who enjoyed the opportunity to visit the School, hear a little about the origins and history of St John’s and see how far we have come since our arrival in Leatherhead 150 years ago.

Archive exhibitions on the first pupils at Leatherhead, the history of the Old Chapel, the history of rugby at St John’s (1875-1945) and the architect, Richard Rogers (Lord Rogers of Riverside) an Old Johnian, who died in December 2021, were also on display.

Richard Hughes, former head of history and author of ‘Those Things Which Are Above, the History of St John’s School’ gave an illuminating talk in the afternoon to mark the 150th anniversary of our arrival in Leatherhead. Entitled St John’s School’s Move to Leatherhead in 1872: How and Why? The talk covered the early and difficult years of the School during its various locations in London since its foundation in 1851 and why Leatherhead was chosen as a new location in 1872, where it has since grown and flourished.

Tom Peacocke, 1960

St John’s School

T +44 (0)1372 373000

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