Dean Close St John’s A GSG School
- Dean Close St John’s
Castleford Hill
Tutshill
Chepstow
Gloucestershire
NP16 7LE - Head: Mr Nick Thrower
- T 01291 622045
- F 01291 623932
- E admissions@deanclosestjohns.org.uk
- W www.deanclosestjohns.org.uk/
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 1 to 13.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Gloucestershire
- Pupils: 124
- Religion: None
- Fees: Day £9,060 - £16,710; Boarding £22,125 pa
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Much excitement on the day of our visit was caused by the inaugural firing up of the new outdoor pizza oven. Constructed by the pupils out of clay, sand and straw, with glass bottles for insulation and an intricate lion design, they beam with pride at their achievement, which will surely become a school institution. As another class rush down for a tasting, the head shouts ‘guys, it’s terrible’ while stuffing his mouth with pizza. No-one believes him…
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What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2021, Nick Thrower, following six years as assistant head and chaplain at Lambrook. Prior to that, director of sport and houseparent at St Andrew’s, Kenya: ‘We lived in bare feet for three years,’ he reminisces. His wife, Jo, joined St John’s as a pre-prep teacher a term before he arrived.
Lots of photos of him setting a trend for suits with wellies on the website reflect a love of outdoor learning (at one point he and Jo ran an outdoor centre in Devon). Parents have seen a ‘massive shift’ to the outside since their arrival.
Pupils describe him as ‘kind’, ‘caring’ and ‘involved’. ‘He shakes our hands,’ they say, ‘asks people what they think’ and ‘helps the little ones’. ‘You don’t have to be in...
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Special Education Needs
The SEN department is staffed by two full-time specialist teachers who offer one-to-one lessons and small group sessions to children with dyslexia. A number of key workers and classroom assistants give support to children needing help in mainstream classes. Conditions such as Hearing impairment, Visual impairment, physical difficulties and some mental health needs are supported, depending on severity.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| Dysgraphia | Y |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | Y |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | Y |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | Y |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | Y |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | Y |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Leavers' destinations
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton College | 2023 | 2 | 2 | Scholarships: 1 music and 1 academic |
| Wycliffe College | 2023 | 1 |
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