What if a school’s success wasn’t measured by the results students arrived with, but by the progress they made along the way?
That is the question at the heart of education at St Joseph’s College and this year’s results provide a powerful answer.
St Jo’s is celebrating an outstanding 23% uplift in A*–A grades against initial projections, demonstrating once again what can happen when academic ambition is matched by exceptional teaching, individual support and a curriculum designed to challenge and inspire every student.
In a sector where some independent schools begin by selecting students for their academic potential, St Jo’s takes a different approach.We don’t select for potential. We develop it.
As an all-through, inclusive school with a broad and ambitious curriculum, St Joseph’s College welcomes students with a wide range of starting points, abilities and aspirations. Success is therefore not simply about who walks through the door. It is about how far every student can progress once they are here.
Deputy Principal, Mr Sacha Cinnamond, said: “The significance of these results goes beyond headline numbers. St Jo’s is deliberately non-academically selective, and yet our inclusive model and academic ambition are not competing ideals. We are delighted to yet again demonstrate the value added by outstanding and committed teaching and our rich and varied curriculum.”
Different starting points. Exceptional destinations.
The impact of that approach can be seen not only in the grades students have achieved, but in where those grades are taking them next. This year’s destinations include King’s College London, Goldsmiths and Durham, alongside a diverse range of university, apprenticeship and degree apprenticeship pathways.
Tommy achieved A A Distinction*Distinction* and will be heading to the University of Nottingham to study Industrial Economics with a placement year. Alicia achieved a phenomenal A*AA and will go on to study Natural Sciences at University College London. Chloe, who achieved A A Distinction*Distinction*, will begin a Level 4 Insurance Professional Apprenticeship with Willis Towers Watson, combining higher-level study with valuable experience in the workplace. These are very different destinations, reflecting very different ambitions.
And that is precisely the point. At St Jo’s, there is no single definition of success. The aim is to help every student identify what they can achieve – and then give them the knowledge, confidence and support to get there. Mrs Katherine Simpson-Jacobs, Assistant Principal Sixth Form, said: “I am immensely proud of our Upper Sixth students’ results which demonstrate their focus and hard work across two years of study. The extensive range of courses at St Joseph’s College enables our students to select subjects and qualifications that help them to progress onto a wide range of university, apprenticeship and degree apprenticeship pathways. “With the guidance and support of their subject teachers, the Sixth Form team and parents, every student is empowered to become an engaged and productive individual, ready to confidently move onto the next stage of their lives. We wish them continued success and happiness.”
Value-added education also means recognising that academic success does not come in one format. Alongside A-levels, St Jo’s offers vocational qualifications including BTECs and CTECs, providing students with alternative routes to higher education, employment and professional careers. This year, an impressive 90% of CTEC students achieved the highest grade, Distinction, while the average BTEC grade was Distinction , equivalent to an A.
The College’s commitment to stretching students intellectually is also reflected in the success of its Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) students. The EPQ gives students the opportunity to move beyond the traditional classroom and develop the skills that underpin future success: independent research, critical thinking, project management, academic writing and presentation. This year, 85% of EPQ students achieved A–B*, demonstrating the ambition, intellectual curiosity and commitment to academic excellence that St Jo’s seeks to nurture.
The most meaningful measure of a school is not simply the grades on a results sheet. It is the journey behind them.
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