News list
Senior House recently welcomed Mr Hugh Anderson, managing director of Godolphin, who came to speak to the children as part of their Thursday Enrichment Programme. This series of talks and activities is aimed to provide the children with access to speakers from a diverse range of careers. Godolphin is a global thoroughbred breeding operation and horseracing team, which spans across four continents from its home in Dubai to Europe, Japan, Australia and America.
The children in Form 4 visited Stibbington Village near Peterborough and travelled back in time to the year 1896.
Following the success of last year’s ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, the Fourth Form put on an exceptional performance of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ which contained moments of humour and suspense, paired with the ridiculous, as well as spectacular dances throughout the story. The theme of ‘playfulness’ was at the centre of the production, shown with moments of comedy chases and the humorous demise of the three nasty farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean.
The Fourth Form had a wonderful opportunity to enhance their understanding of Buddhism with a trip to the Cambridge Buddhist Centre on the first day of the Lent term. In the Michaelmas term, the children had an introduction to the key Buddhist concepts and practices. The Buddhist hosts at the Centre built on this by answering the children’s questions and putting across the ‘flavour’ of a modern Buddhist life.
The Sixth Form were eager to get their hands dirty and wade into the river, despite the chilly weather, when they visited Epping Forest Field Centre, a Special Area of Conservation for their Geography Field trip. Head of Geography, Miss Grant explained, “We practised working together in groups, learned about delegation of tasks, our role of responsibility to the group as a whole and how to sustain interest and high quality work in inhospitable surroundings, whilst also learning about the changing course of rivers”.
The Choristers embarked on a festive tour to the Netherlands with the St John’s College Choir before Christmas. At the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam the Choir performed an afternoon concert of Christmas favourites in one of the world's finest concert halls. The St John’s Choir was accompanied by Herbert Howells Organ Scholar Glen Dempsey and two other Johnian musicians: cellist Laura van der Heijden and baritone Gareth John (a former choral scholar). The Choir also performed at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, Kathedraal
The School took part in several Remembrance events in November 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice in 1918 that signalled the end of the First World War. A two-minute silence was observed at both Byron House and Senior House to commemorate those who fought and died in this War and in conflict since this time, signalled by the Last Post played by two of our pupils.
Our festive ‘Services in Preparation for Christmas’, held over two days in the magnificent Chapel of St John’s College, once again heralded the start of the season with a range of carols, poems and readings all presented by the children. The carols and readings were interspersed with 5 congregational hymns. The Services provided a sense of calm from the busy nature of this time of the year and created up a contemplative mood to help prepare for Christmas.
Humanitas Charity runs a primary school located in the remote, rural community of Ayensuako in southern Ghana. It forms part of Humanitas’ Education Matters programme. St John's continues to support this school through Humanitas and the children had an update in assemblies at both Senior House and Byron House about the success of the project, as well as workshops for some year groups. The school buildings at Ayensuako have now been painted and a library is being established which will be used by the entire village.
Parents and pupils alike were enchanted by T1’s modern nativity, Christmas with the Aliens. The traditional Christmas story is retold to some alien visitors who become stranded on earth and meet a group of schoolchildren rehearsing their Christmas play.