Sofiia Dzhura, a war refugee who has battled against the odds to achieve remarkable success in her A-Levels, is among the students at St John’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College, in Bishop Auckland, looking forward to their next steps after receiving excellent results. After arriving from Ukraine when she was in Year 10, Sofiia has worked hard to pass both her Maths Level 4 and English Language Level 4, as well as a Distinction in BTEC Business and a Merit in IT. In her own time, Sofiia has also been studying Level 3 Chinese, gaining a remarkable score of 283 out of 300 points. Her childhood dream is to spend a year abroad studying in Shanghai, so her next step will be to take up her Chinese with International Business place at the University of Westminster. Sofiia said: “I am so happy that life brought me to St. John’s where I met such wonderful teachers and students.”

St John’s outstripped the national and North East averages for students achieving A*- C at A-level. The college achieved 83.1 per cent, compared to the national average of 77.7 per cent, and the North East average of 74.9 per cent.

Freya Richardson is another St John’s student to show huge tenacity after battling cancer since primary school. Freya has had to balance academic life with her illness, including enduring major surgery on her jaw. But she hasn’t let it stop her from aiming high, and her hard work at St. John’s has resulted in success in A-level Art (Grade C), BTEC Business (Merit), and BTEC Health and Social Care (Distinction). Freya would like to own her own bakery, but, in the meantime, she has secured an apprenticeship in Business Administration with Irwin Mitchell Law Firm in Newcastle. She said: “St. John’s has helped me achieve many things in my life and helped me make new friends along the way.”

Meanwhile, Sophie Campbell’s sudden illness in 2021 turned out to be the inspiration for her own career. She decided to become a doctor after spending months in hospital after going into septic shock, and saw, at first hand, how doctors care for patients. Her hard work while at St. John’s Sixth Form College has resulted in a Grade A* in Biology, Grade A in Chemistry, and Grade B in Spanish, which enables her to take up her offer from Newcastle University to study Medicine and Surgery. Sophie thanked her teachers at St John’s for going above and beyond to further her academic progress.

Studying English and history at the University of York is the next step for farmer’s son, Thomas Smurthwaite. Although he works long hours on the family farm, Thomas has achieved three A-levels while at St. John’s – Grades A, in History and Law, Grade B in English Literature, as well as Grade A in his EPQ. He would like to teach at St. John’s where he has served as Head of House and has played an active part in the student leadership team. Thomas has also completed his Gold Duke of Edinburgh award and is an expedition leader for younger students. He credits St. John’s for “teaching me many different things, from resilience to organisation and everything in between – all skills I will carry with me throughout my life.”

As a looked-after child, Cory Wilson is perfectly placed to advise on improving and developing the care service. Cory, who is celebrating A Level success at St John’s, works alongside Social Workers and other key professionals. Since he was 12, he has sat on the Children in Care Council for Durham County Council that caters for other looked after people in care. Cory’s A Level success means that he has secured a place at Teesside University to study Optometry, having gained Grade A in Computer Science, along with Grade A in Psychology and Grade A in Maths, as well as Grade A* for his EPQ.

As well as studying towards her A-levels, Katie Brooks Shea has also been a netball coach since she was 12 and combines academic work with coaching the Under-11 Bishop Auckland team. Katie has achieved Grade A in PE; Grade C in Biology; and Grade B in Geography, and has won a place to read Sports Science, Coaching & Physical Education at Loughborough University. Her aim is to be a professional sports coach. 

The sky might not be the limit for Joe Walton, a high-flying student at St. John’s. Joe already achieved A* in Maths in Year 1 and now has a further three A-levels: Grade A* in Further Maths, Grade A* in Physics, and Grade A in Chemistry. He plans to take a gap year to apply to Cambridge University next year for Aerospace Engineering.

Knowing how important good GCSE grades were for future choices, Francesca Barnham took the time, while at St John’s, to re-sit her English Language and gained a Level 6. This resulted in an offer to read Occupational Therapy at The University of Liverpool. Now with her A-level grades of B in Criminology and a Distinction in both Health and Social Care Double Award, she is on her way. “St. John’s has really helped me flourish!” said Francesca. “Occupational Therapy is my dream job, and I get to do what I love and work with all different people.”

Joe Nash has already secured a four-year degree apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying with Bowmar & Kirkland Construction, linked with Northumbria University. However, despite knowing he had secured that place, he has worked hard to get good A-levels. As a result, he gained Grade A in Economics, Grade A in Geography, and Grade B in Maths. Joe said: “The teaching and support I’ve received throughout all my subjects has been second to none. My teachers go above and beyond to ensure I have the best opportunity to achieve my goals.”

Jasmine Scott had already secured a three-year constabulary degree apprenticeship with Northumbria Police when she got her A-level results at St John’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College in Bishop Auckland. She is delighted to have achieved a Grade A* in Criminology, Grade A in Law, and Grade B in Spanish, as well as a Grade A* in her EPQ, which looked at the impact of Covid upon the Criminal Justice System. Jasmine said: “My time at St. John’s has been something I truly believe I’ll never experience again. The support I’ve received has been incredible.”

David Bentley’s passion for theatre has been rewarded with a place at Northern School of Art after his A-Levels. David achieved A-level Grade B in Media Studies, Grade C in English Language/Literature, and Grade C in History. While at St. John’s, he was a founding member of the Sixth Form Theatre Group and Film Group and has been involved in numerous drama productions. He will be continuing to follow his passion after being accepted to read for a Film, TV and Theatre Production Degree. David said: “My time at St. John’s has been an incredible journey in which I have been part of many productions and even founding our own theatre group in school” 

Matt Dunn, Assistant Headteacher, at St John’s – part of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust – said: “We are extremely proud of our Sixth Form at St John’s. The students have worked extremely hard to achieve these results and they are a testament to the academic diligence and ambition that we encourage and develop in Sixth Form. “They are wonderful individuals, who have bright futures ahead of them. We wish them all the best.”