St John's College is delighted to announce exceptional results for the Class of 2025, with all 149 matric students achieving a tertiary pass in the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) examinations, including 146 who secured Bachelor's Degree passes.
We celebrate 558 distinctions across the cohort, averaging 3.7 distinctions per student. 93% of our young men achieved at least one distinction, with one student earning 11 distinctions and three others achieving 10 each.
"We are proud of the Class of 2025, with 138 students earning at least one distinction. This reflects well on both our students and their teachers. At St John's, we do not take the easy path. Our academic framework is rigorous by design, requiring every student to take either Physical or Life Sciences, and often both, alongside Mathematics, Languages, and the Humanities. This breadth matters because we're not just producing high achievers. We're developing independent thinkers with the intellectual stamina and skills to succeed at university and beyond," said Vanessa Govender, Deputy Head: Academics.
The results highlight our commitment to academic breadth, with significantly higher uptake rates in challenging subjects compared to IEB averages. Mathematics uptake stood at 87.25% (versus the IEB's 58.8%), while Physical Sciences was taken by 74.5% of students (compared to 38.2% across the IEB).
While we celebrate our top achievers, we are equally proud of all our students. Many improved significantly this year, moving up symbols and overcoming real challenges. We celebrate that growth.
Twelve students achieved overall averages above 90%, led by Ruhan Gosai and Siza Gule, who both averaged 94%. Gosai earned 10 distinctions, while Gule achieved nine distinctions, including a perfect 100% in Dramatic Arts. Luca van Tonder achieved 93.8% with 11 distinctions, the highest number in the cohort.
Luke Brickhill scored 99% in Mathematics, while our Mathematics programme returned 78 distinctions overall, with 60% of students achieving an A.
Five students were placed on the IEB Outstanding Achievement list, recognising performance in the top 5% across six or more subjects. A further five students made the Commendable Achievement list for top 5% performance in five subjects. Forty-two individual subject results were placed in the top 1% of all IEB candidates nationally, including Further Studies.
Two members of the Class of 2025, Siza Gule and Menzi Bongwe, have already secured places at Harvard University through the Early Action Programme.
Performance across core subjects exceeded the IEB benchmarks substantially. We achieved an English average of 76.2% (7.9% above the IEB), with Physical Sciences averaging 72.4% (11.36% above the benchmark) and Mathematics at 79.6% (14.23% above the IEB average).
Dramatic Arts students excelled with an average of 89.1%, while Information Technology students achieved 84.8%. We also achieved strong results in languages, with Afrikaans averaging 74.5% and French 80.2%.
These results mark the first for our new Executive Headmaster, Dale Jackson, who acknowledged his predecessor's role in the cohort's success.
"The Class of 2025 has achieved something special. As I begin my journey at St John's, I want to acknowledge former Executive Headmaster Stuart West, under whose leadership these young men have flourished. I congratulate them and our exceptional teaching staff, and I'm grateful to our parents for their partnership. This is the kind of excellence that defines St John's," Jackson said.
ACHIEVEMENTS AT A GLANCE
149 students achieved 558 distinctions
3,8 distinctions per candidate
OUSTANDING PERFORMANCE
One student achieved 11 distinctions
Three students achieved 10 distinctions
Five students achieved 9 distinctions
12 students achieved 8 distinctions
15 students achieved 7 distinctions
93% of students achieved at least one distinction
- 60% of students who took Mathematics achieved a distinction, returning 78 distinctions.
IEB RECOGNITION
- 36 subject results were placed in the top 1% of all IEB candidates in South Africa -- six of these were in Further Studies subjects.
- Five students were placed on the IEB Outstanding Achievement list.
- Five students were placed on the IEB Commendable Achievement list.
ISC DISTINCTIONS (International Secondary Certificate)
49 Students achieved distinctions in the Further Studies subjects, including 24 in Further Studies Mathematics Extended, 12 in Further Studies Mathematics Standard, eight in Further Studies English, and five in Further Studies Physics.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Mathematics: 87,25% (130) student uptake (significantly higher than the IEB uptake of 58,8%), with an average of 79.6% (14,23% above the IEB average) and 78 distinctions. 76,5% of students achieved above 60%, a frequently used minimum for entry into university courses requiring mathematical competence. One student achieved 99%.
Physical Sciences: 74,5% students (111) uptake (compared to the IEB’s 38,2%), with an overall average of 72.4% (11,36% above the IEB average) and 38 distinctions.
Life Sciences: 61,1% (91) student uptake, returning an average of 74% and 35 distinctions.
Information Technology: Average of 84.8% with 40 distinctions out of 57 students.
English: Average of 76.2% (7,9% above the IEB average) with 47 distinctions out of 149.
Afrikaans: Average of 74.5% with 44 distinctions out of 100.
isiZulu: Average of 71.1% with 12 distinctions out of 44.
Life Orientation: Average of 79.5% with 87 distinctions out of 149.
Dramatic Arts: 36 students returned an average of 89.1% with 31 distinctions. One student achieved 100%.
History: 109 students achieved an average of 77.8% with 59 distinctions.
Geography: 22 students achieved an average of 70.5% with 8 distinctions.
French: 16 students achieved an average of 80.2% with 9 distinctions.
German: Two students achieved an average of 79.5% with 1 distinction.
Latin: Two students achieved an average of 87%, both returning distinctions.
Music: Four students achieved an average of 85.8% with 4 distinctions.
ABRSM Music: Two students achieved an average of 82% with 2 distinctions.
Visual Arts: 10 students achieved an average of 82% with 6 distinctions.
