St John's Catholic Comprehensive School

Welcome to St John's Catholic Comprehensive School

Welcome to the St John’s area of the on-line prospectus and thank you for considering St John’s Catholic Comprehensive School as a Sixth Form destination. We hope that before you make this important decision regarding your post-16 education, you will peruse our information page which will be on the school website. Our website is www.stjohnscs.com

This is an exciting time to be entering the last phase of your school education. Most of you will continue into Higher Education or find a job which will have a training and educational element in it; either way your time in the Sixth Form will act as the bridge to whichever pathway you ultimately choose to follow. Your compulsory education is nearly over and you should make this next step in the full knowledge of what to expect. We wish you well as you make the most important decision in your education so far.

About us

St John’s is a Catholic Comprehensive school. Those two words - Catholic and Comprehensive - can mean the same thing - universal. We are a school for both boys and girls; we accept all abilities between the ages of 11 and 19. We are a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural school, and whilst we are a Christian community, we have always welcomed pupils of other faiths. We are very proud of our heritage of inclusion and this will remain our position in the future.

St John’s Sixth Form is inclusive and we strive to value and respect each and every individual who joins our vibrant community. We encourage all of our students to aspire to academic excellence and success, believing that there are no limits to a student’s potential.

Our Sixth Form curriculum is bespoke to the needs and abilities of each student, providing stimulating academic and vocational opportunities which develop confidence and nurture individual talent.

We are committed to the highest standards of teaching, learning and pastoral care – achieved through a combination of challenge, support, encouragement and praise – and, by working in partnership with parents/carers, we empower our pupils to achieve success and become the leaders of tomorrow.

Our offer comprises of both academic and vocational pathways over two years. We also offer a mixed pathway and three year Foundation Pathway.

Our Foundation Pathway offers a three year sixth form and is designed to enable those who do not meet initial entry requirements to study at Level 3 to study a foundation year where they will work towards qualifying for Level 3 courses. Students can then continue in sixth form on a vocational Level 3 route or take up an apprenticeship.

Typically, most students are encouraged to begin their Sixth Form studies with three subjects and continue to study RE and PSHE throughout the two years. In Year 12, Students also take part in an enrichment carousel of subjects in which include Financial Skills, Cooking Skills, Home Improvement and Trade Skills, Sport and Study and Employment Skills. Alternatively, they can choose to study for the extended project qualification in Year 12 instead of completing the enrichment programme.

We also offer students the opportunity to resit Mathematics and/or English if they have not yet achieved a Level ‘4’ at GCSE. Students will then have the option of taking three or four of their subjects through to the full ‘A’ level or equivalent in Year 13.

Life in the Sixth Form

The Sixth Form in any school occupies a very special place; at St John’s it is our belief that it reflects the ideals and ethos of the whole school. We strive to develop our Sixth Form students from school pupils into young adults who are ready to take their place in the world of employment or higher education. We hope then that our students will move on to become members of a thoughtful and caring community, or by their example, help to engender such a community. Demands on you will be high, as will our expectations. We believe though, that education is about more than exam results, important as they are. The jump from Year 11 to the Sixth Form is a big one both academically and socially; different relationships develop between students and teachers in an atmosphere in which much greater self-reliance and responsibility is placed upon the student. Each student follows his or her own timetable which will not include a lesson for each period of the week. Periods for non-timetabled lessons are spent in private study in designated study areas and the onus is very much on students to make full use of these opportunities. We, at St John’s, are committed to the fact that post-16 life is about more than just the courses that you study or even where you study them. That is why we provide a large range of enrichment opportunities and run special events to ensure that you leave school a well-rounded individual, ready to take-on the challenges of the wider world.

The Sixth Form in any school occupies a very special place; at St John’s it is our belief that it reflects the ideals and ethos of the whole school. We strive to develop our Sixth Form students from school pupils into young adults who are ready to take their place in the world of employment or higher education. We hope then that our students will move on to become members of a thoughtful and caring community, or by their example, help to engender such a community.

Demands on you will be high, as will our expectations. We believe though, that education is about more than exam results, important as they are. The jump from Year 11 to the Sixth Form is a big one both academically and socially; different relationships develop between students and teachers in an atmosphere in which much greater self-reliance and responsibility is placed upon the student. Each student follows his or her own timetable which will not include a lesson for each period of the week. Periods for non-timetabled lessons are spent in private study in designated study areas and the onus is very much on students to make full use of these opportunities.

We, at St John’s, are committed to the fact that post-16 life is about more than just the courses that you study or even where you study them. That is why we provide a large range of enrichment opportunities and run special events to ensure that you leave school a well-rounded individual, ready to take-on the challenges of the wider world.

Applications Open:   21st November 2025 (9.00am)

Applications Close:  13th February 2026 (4.00pm)

How to apply: 

- All INTERNAL applicants MUST apply via Applicaa using this link (coming soon!)

- All EXTERNAL applicants MUST apply via Kent Choices using this link https://www.kentprospectus.co.uk/login

- All correspondence between learners and the school after an application is made will be via Applicaa.

- All applicants (internal and external) will be invited in for a 1-1 guidance meeting. 

- Those who have a successful guidance meeting will be offered a place to study at St John's Sixth Form from September 2026.

Additional support

Each student is part of a form group and will have regular one to one meetings with their form tutor as well as support in completing personal statements and C.V’s. Students also have a HOY who is there to provide support and opportunities for further enrichment and participation in school life and the wider community. Students are encouraged to join the prefect system or mentor younger students in the school, either academically or pastorally. Sixth Form students also benefit from having a pastoral manager who gives one to one support where necessary.

Learner success

Students are given a high level of advice and guidance with the UCAS application process from both internal and external sources. Students are also aided in developing the transferable skills of communication, working with others and problem solving, which are so highly valued by employers and university admissions tutors.

As well as the high percentage of our leavers who go on to university, we are also able to provide the opportunities for our other students to find employment, further training or apprenticeships. We, at St John’s, are extremely proud of the success rates of our Sixth Form and we take great pride in being able to support all of our students in realising the next step of their life’s journey.

Sixth Form Pastoral Team

At St John's, we pride ourselves on the pastoral care that we provide for our students. As such, we feel that the Sixth Form should have a dedicated pastoral team specifically for themselves. Within the Sixth Form, we have five highly dedicated staff who work tirelessly to support the pastoral and academic needs of our sixth form students. In addition, these staff will also closely monitor students attendance to ensure that each student can achieve the best possible outcome by the end of Year 13. Finally, our Sixth Form team at St John's will liaise with outside agencies and universities to ensure that each student is offered the most up to date and relevant university and career guidance available.

Facilities available

• State of the Art Building (School Built in 2010)
• Sixth Form Study Centre for Independent Study
• Staff/Sixth Form Cafeteria
• Art Loft
• Media Suite
• Recording Studio
• Dance & Drama Studios
• Sports Facilities

Sixth Form Open Evening 2024

• Wednesday 20th November 2024 (7pm-9pm)
• All prospective students welcome to attend.
• All students MUST be accompanied by an adult/parent/carer.

• All applications must be made via Kent Choices (Applications OPEN on Thursday 21st November 2024 at 9.00am)
• Application CLOSE on Friday 14th February 2025 at 4.00pm