This is an accepted version of this page St John's College was a private day and boarding school located in Southsea, Hampshire, England.

[5] In May 2022, the Governors announced that the school would not re-open for the academic year starting that September, citing declining student numbers, under-investment and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as the causes.

St John's College was founded in Southsea, Portsmouth in 1908 by the De La Salle brothers as an independent boys' school.

Between 1928 and 1929 the WWI memorial and a statue of St John Baptist De La Salle were both unveiled in the college grounds.

The five pointed star represents the Lasallian Order, the position of St John's by the sea is affirmed by the six waves.

[11] Portsmouth was subjected to many enemy air-raids in the Second World War and the college suffered extensive damage.

During the war the college established a sister school in Hassocks, Sussex, where boarders were evacuated away from the bombing in Southsea.

[13] The Roll of Honour of 1914–18 had a much lengthier list added to it, and a further memorial board to the Old Johannians who lost their lives is now maintained by the school.

We did hope that the school would be bought, and investment provided for the site to be re-developed and then allowed to continue but this deal fell through.

In 2018, a pass rate of 77% A*-C at A-Level was achieved with multiple individual successes and this resulted in the College's Sixth Form in becoming the highest value-added in the Portsmouth area that year.

In the senior school there were four houses: Leo, Edwin, Alan and Damian, all named after notable people who have served as head of college over the years.

[24] St John's College retained its Catholic traditions was an associate member of the Lasallian educational institutions and the De La Salle network of schools, which extends worldwide covering 81 countries from preschool through to universities.

[27] Foreign language trips took place in Europe, and each year the college organised a ski-trip for students.

The college also had a Duke of Edinburgh Award programme, organising an annual expedition for participating students.

Speakers have included Margaret Thatcher,[30] Harold Wilson (former prime minister and previous president of the society),[30] Tony Benn,[30] Enoch Powell,[30] Rowan Williams – former Archbishop of Canterbury,[30] Douglas Hurd (current President of the Society),[30] Nigel Farage,[30] former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw,[30] former Green Party leader – Caroline Lucas,[30] Theresa May – Home Secretary and subsequently the UK's second woman prime minister;[30] Lord Judge, former Lord Chief Justice; the former Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti;[30] the United States Ambassador to the UK, Matthew Barzun; and Lord Neuberger, former president of the Supreme Court.

[33] In more modern times, the school had a clean-sweep as champions of the under 13, under 14, under 15 and under 16 age-groups of the South East Hampshire Netball League in 2014.

[36] Within the college grounds there was a multi-purpose hall for badminton, basketball, netball, volleyball and cricket nets, together with a squash court, fitness suite and a climbing wall.

[37] The school also owned some 40 acres (16 ha) of sports grounds at Farlington (known as "Fields"), which include netball and tennis courts, cricket, football and rugby pitches, as well as a pavilion.

Co-curricular sports clubs included badminton, basketball, climbing, dance, squash, swimming, sailing and skiing.

[40]After World War 2, on 12 January 1946, the association held a victory reunion dinner, attended by some 100 Old Johannians, the majority still in uniform.

[41] Sir Alec Rose accepted honorary membership of the Old Johannian Association before his single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in 1967-8 and attended the OJ golden jubilee dinner and dance upon his return.

[42] The association continues to run several gatherings each year, notably the AGM and dinner held on the first Saturday after Easter, and a golf tournament.