The short answer is no. St John's is, and always has been, a Christian school in the Lasalliantradition. We are extremely proud of that heritage and tradition, and work hard at maintaining an ethos and encouraging the values appropriate to a Catholic, Christian school. In our most recent diocesan inspection we were praised very highly for the work we do to 'create a community in which students learn to take the gospel seriously'. Catholic families look to us to nurture their children in their faith - and we see that as an important part of our mission. However, none of this means that we are narrow, or exclusive, or old-fashioned. Our Christianity is positively inclusive and celebrates diversity. We are always seeking to apply our core values to the demands of a rapidly changing society. Many of our pupils are not Catholic - some have no 'formal' religious identity at all - but all are equally valued as members of the school community. All we ask is that our pupils and their families are fully supportive of the College's values and traditions. Pupils are expected to attend religious services - including Mass - where once again our keynote is celebration of the unique value of each person individually and in their relationships with each other and with God. We have faith in our pupils! 

2) Can you comment on academic standards at St John's?

You can be assured that academic standards are high at St John's. Admission to the College is not by narrow academic selection. We do not feel it appropriate to exclude children on the basis of a one-off test. Rather, our policy is to accept any child who will benefit from the curriculum we offer, and our aim is to realise to the full that child's potential, whatever that may be. We are an all-ability school - and proud of it. What matters to us is excellence for each child - not an 'excellent' reputation for the school achieved through exclusivity. We are pleased every year to send students to Oxford, Cambridge and other leading universities, and just as delighted with the success of a child who achieves their own more modest personal target at GCSE or A level. Almost all of our Sixth Form leavers go on to higher education. Crude league tables which compare St John's with academically selective schools on the basis of  'raw' examination data cannot reflect this success, however, and our position within them - whilst always secure - can vary from year to year. A much more appropriate measure is of the 'value added' to each pupil's attainment over the time they are in the school. We are pleased to say that over the last few years such nationally standardised measures have shown that overall the College has indeed enabled its students to achieve results fully in accord with their early potential - and very frequently to exceed significantly such expectation.

3) My child needs additional support with a particular aspect of learning. Can you help?

Yes. As a school for all abilities, we do our very best to provide appropriate support for children with specific educational needs. We have fully trained staff who will conduct the necessary diagnostic assessments and design and regularly update individually tailored education plans. Then, whether it be through a programme of individual support sessions, through the use of appropriate resources and teaching approaches within mainstream lessons, or through a combination of both - we can work effectively to support each pupil with a specific need in realising their potential across the curriculum. Very occasionally, a child may have educational needs which - despite our best efforts - we are not equipped to meet. In such circumstances, we are always completely candid - and will do our best to help identify a more suitable school or other source of support. For further information, please consult the policy statement on  ‘Special Education Needs’. 

4) I notice that the school has an 'international dimension'. What does this mean?

It means that, within the context of our boarding community, we welcome a number of pupils from a variety of other countries. In the recent past we have had studying with us children from Germany, Russia, Taiwan, China, Bulgaria... - and they usually make up just under 10% of our total school population. Some will be members of the College throughout their secondary education; others will stay with us only for a relatively short period. All, however, bring a particular cultural richness to the school - and we believe very firmly that their presence and contribution is to the benefit of all. We see it as part of our mission to broaden our pupils' personal horizons, and our international dimension is one way in which we work towards that end. We also work very hard to ensure that the specific educational needs of our overseas pupils are met - for instance, through specialist English language teaching and other additional tuition.

5) Convince me. Give me one more reason why I should choose St John's for my child? 

We would suggest that you consider St John's very seriously because in addition to being the kind of inclusive community described above, and in addition to our very clear focus on realising to the full the potential of each pupil - we are a relatively small school where each individual is well known and well cared for. We place very great emphasis on effective pastoral care, seeking always to create a sound academic and social environment for every child in the school. This is always a challenging task for every school - but experience shows that schools are more successful in this area when numbers - overall and in teaching and form groups - are kept manageable. By design, this is the situation at St John's - and it will continue to be the case.