Does the school adopt a maximum class size?

20 is our maximum class size. However, because of the historical nature of the school, some class sizes and year groups are smaller than this. The staff pupil ratio throughout the school is one teacher for every 7 pupils.
 

What is the School’s Entrance Criteria?

St John’s entrance criteria is non-selective and as such does not use an entry test but rather boys are selected on a strictly first come, first served basis.  However, the Headmaster does require to see all prospective pupils before joining and all prospective boys are invited to visit the school for a 'taster session' before they join.  This enables an informal assessment to be carried out before a pupil joins the school.
 

Is St John’s Academically Selective and does it cater for a wide range of ability?

St John’s caters for boys of all abilities.  However, parents should recognise that the school day is longer than normal and the expectations placed upon each boy are demanding.  The school, together with parents, makes every effort to ensure that the school environment is right for each pupil. Additional support is provided for boys who struggle to meet certain areas of the curriculum adn a 'gifted and telented' programme operates from Year 1 to Year 8 inclusive.
 

What part does Religion play in the life of the School?

St John’s is a Roman Catholic Jesuit school for boys aged between 3 and 13. The school positively welcome boys and all religious beliefs.  All boys attend Morning Assembly, Evening Prayer and Mass, if applicable to their age.  The Religious Education syllabus follows the syllabus laid down by the Roman Catholic Church in the United Kingdom and boys are introduced to all major religions as part of our Religious Education and SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural) programme.
 

Does the school offer a variety of extra curricular activities?

The school runs a staggering array of extra-curricular activities – all planned with boys in mind.  For some boys, their personal strength may often lie outside of the academic curriculum and it is important that these are recognised to the greatest extent possible within the structure of the school.  The list of activities totals over 40 activities and boys are encouraged to participate in these.  Examples of activities include Digital Photography, Dance, Sketching, Lego, Fly Fishing, Polo, Chess, Football, Newsboard, Swimming, Mad Science, Climbing, Radio Club, Mandarin.
 

Is St John’s just a sporty school?

Sport adds greatly to the life of St John’s but not in isolation.  Whilst boys enjoy a wide range of curricular sporting opportunities including; rugby, cricket, swimming, tennis, rock climbing, golf, athletics, rowing, badminton, volleyball and gymnastics, we are equally busy and successful in our music, art and drama departments.  Outside the sporting curriculum, after school clubs include; archery, polo, SCUBA diving, badminton, water polo, fencing, handball and judo. 

Are Music and Art important aspects of school life?

Music, Art and Drama are very strong at St John’s, both in the number of boys who pursue these subjects after school and the standard that they achieved in each.  More importantly though is the importance that is attached to each of these disciplines.  Boys who excel or enjoy these subjects are recognised equally throughout the school and their achievements valued highly.