This busy and colourful College in Houghton is home to future leaders, on spacious school grounds with magnificent buildings – a bustle of activity as the students are enriched by another school day.
Steeped in history, and infused with a persisting sense of tradition, St John’s College has dedicated itself to premium education since its establishment in 1898. Catering for pupils from Grade 0 to Grade 12 (UV), the pursuit of academic excellence, as well as every level of academic support prepares pupils for any challenge. The College also educates Sixth Form girls and boys, writing Cambridge A-Level examinations.
As a Christian school, a service to God pervades the daily workings of the College and the individuals, ensuring responsible members of St John’s and the greater community. It is upon these values that the high standards of teaching and development are maintained within the school, helping all pupils to reach their potential and fulfil their dreams. The ultimate goal is for every student graduating from St John’s to have had holistic development in preparation for all of their pursuits.
With a resplendent curriculum on offer, St John’s College has especially prolific Music, Art and Drama departments. Pupils have the option to take Music as a matric subject. They are encouraged to play a musical instrument, to join the string ensemble, wind band, jazz band or one of the many specialised ensembles. The choir regularly performs major choral works with an orchestra. Included in art instruction comes the development of subsidiary but vital learning skills, including theoretical and practical application of knowledge. On offer as part of the course, there is a segment on computer graphics, and learners are given the chance to specialise and further their skills in their chosen field. With ample opportunity to exhibit, students are frequently taken on excursions, and the school offers an annual art tour to Europe. The Drama department further enables learners to have a creative outlet and develop pivotal life and communication skills.
A host of extra-curricular activities are regulated within the school as having countless benefits to the education of pupils. Sports are undoubtedly important amongst boys, and the winter and summer programmes are in place to develop self esteem, as a practical tool in terms of team work, as well as developing a number of life skills. The cultural activities on offer cater for the full spectrum of interests and personal strengths amongst the student body, and enhance the academic curriculum in a variety of ways.
Based on Christian principles, pupils at St John’s College are encouraged to engage with those in need, giving them insight into the sense of achievement stemming from helping others. Each pupil is expected to perform twenty hours of community service, and a number of rewards are presented in recognition of outstanding effort. With a number of projects in progress, most notable on the list is the school’s twin project with Masibambane College . Within the auspices of this project, St John’s provides support in terms of administration, equipment, fundraising and other upliftment initiatives, as well as providing educational sharing.
Mirrored by the successes of current pupils that are excelling across the board, St John’s College boasts alumni of wholly flourishing citizens, locally and abroad, who have gone on to triumph in a number of professional and sporting endeavours. These members of the St John’s community are exemplary of the legacy of the school and the thorough grounding it creates for those educated within it.
Here is a Virtual Tour of the school.
