▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁Special ist ▁school ▁and ▁a cademy ▁status ▁The ▁three ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁Cons ort ium ▁were ▁granted ▁Special ist ▁School ▁Status ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁John ▁Mason ▁focused ▁on ▁visual ▁arts ▁which ▁meant ▁it ▁received ▁greater ▁fund ing ▁from ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁provide ▁special ist ▁equipment . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁J MS ▁opened ▁the ▁ 0 6 ▁Gallery , ▁a ▁new ▁construction ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁special ism ▁and ▁featuring ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁students ' ▁art work . ▁ ▁Pre viously ▁a ▁community ▁school ▁admin ister ed ▁by ▁Oxford shire ▁County ▁Council , ▁John ▁Mason ▁School ▁converted ▁to ▁a cademy ▁status ▁on ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁However ▁the ▁school ▁continues ▁to ▁co - ordinate ▁with ▁Oxford shire ▁County ▁Council ▁for ▁adm issions . ▁ ▁H ouses ▁The ▁school ▁has ▁three ▁houses , ▁Ster t , ▁O ck , ▁and ▁Th ames , ▁of ▁the ▁colours ▁red , ▁green ▁and ▁blue ▁respectively . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁fourth ▁house , ▁Is is , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁dissol ved ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁The ▁houses ▁are ▁named ▁after ▁water c ourses ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Ab ing don . ▁ ▁Pos itive ▁performance ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁break down ▁of ▁A - level ▁results , ▁John ▁Mason ▁were ▁the ▁sixth ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁for ▁performance ▁in ▁mathematics , ▁with ▁ 3 8 % ▁of ▁students ▁getting ▁A *