English Olympians

St John’s College is proud to announce the superb results achieved by the College and Sixth Form students who participated in this year’s English Olympiad which was written by almost 6 000 students across South Africa. St John’s entered 23 candidates into this year’s competition, with four of our students featuring in the top 10 and six overall in the top 50.

“While St John’s has achieved consistently good results over the years, to have four students place in the top ten, and six overall in the top 50, is quite simply unparalleled,” said Fiona Kampmann, Head of English at St John’s College.

Top 50

2nd: Sazi Bongwe (Head of School) - Diamond

5th: Raeesah Jadwat (UVI, Runge) - Diamond

7th: Sarah Nanabhay (UVI, Runge) - Diamond

10th: Ydhan Naidoo (UV, Clarke) - Diamond

38th: Jun Tan (UV, Hill) - Gold

44th: Eli Osei (Head of Runge) - Gold

The English Olympiad allows students the unique opportunity to engage with texts independently and find their unique voices to communicate their ideas and opinions. We congratulate all participants for being academically aspirant and choosing to prepare and write this rigorous examination. While many schools hold regular tutorials for their Olympiad candidates, this is not the approach at St John’s. The English Department believes that participating in the Olympiad is an extension for the students and teachers seek to ensure that their writing reflects their individual voices.

“We are very proud of our students, and we are so pleased that their ability to communicate and share their sophisticated insights have been rewarded. They have shown their mettle in these results,” says Kampmann.

“Congratulations must also go to our teachers. To have secured four of the top 10 places and six of the top 50 are truly remarkable achievements and testimony to the confidence, rigour, and skills they have acquired in their English classes. It is their collective, exacting demands and inspirational approach which allows our students to soar,” said Stuart West, Executive Headmaster.