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What says..

Enter through the wrought iron gates (if you’re very fortunate you might be directed by the utterly charming grounds staff) and watch the school open up Narnia-like as you walk into reception and gaze out through the floor to ceiling windows onto the main quad. Output is testament to (mostly) strong teaching and belief that academic success goes hand in hand with pastoral care. Is it cool here to work hard these days? ‘We’re well on the way – there’s been a big shift.’ All additions to the academic curriculum taken very seriously and highly valued; school places equal value on sport, drama and music to academia. Sport ‘riding high’…

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What the school says...

St John’s, Leatherhead is a leading independent, co-educational school for pupils aged 11 to 18, offering day, weekly and flexible boarding options. Renowned for outstanding pastoral care, the atmosphere of the School is friendly, relaxed and purposeful. The success of St John’s is underpinned by a strong sense of community, a vibrant house system and an exemplary co-curricular programme. Small class sizes with outstanding teaching leads to a positive learning environment in the classroom. St John’s offers a wide range of opportunity. Every pupil is encouraged to choose their own pathway, informed by his or her interests and ambitions. They are encouraged to perform to the best of their ability, both academically and outside the classroom. ...Read more

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Sports

Unusual sports

Shooting

Sailing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since August 2023, Alex Tate, previously head of Bedford Modern School for six years. Prior to that he was deputy head at St John’s. After studying modern history at the University of Oxford, he began his career in the shipping industry, spending 11 years working in the UK and overseas, with placements in New York, Taiwan and Hong Kong. His final position was as general manager for the company in China, based in Shanghai, but in 2006 he decided to fulfil a long-held desire to become a teacher and returned to Oxford to study for his PGCE.

His first experience of St John’s was when he visited as part of the inspecting team for the ISI boarding inspection in 2012. He was so impressed by what he saw that he...

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Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

Special Education Needs

Learning Support is available to all pupils of the school, particularly those with a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) and the Special Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will contact their parents before the end of the summer term prior to their arrival. Pupils with SpLD will normally be placed on the School’s Special Needs Register, unless parents specifically request otherwise. The SENCo is also responsible for the supervision of literacy testing to establish whether individual support should continue. Specialist tuition, tailored to individual needs, is available to all pupils at St.John’s, on an individual basis. Sessions usually take place outside normal lesson times. An additional charge, paid termly with the school fees, is made for any tuition received. Basic skills are closely monitored throughout the first three years at St.John’s and any pupil who appears to require extra help with English, Maths, time management and organisation, or any other area of Study Skills, is referred by teachers or tutors to the Learning Support Department. As well as internal referrals, parents may request assistance, either through the Housemaster or form tutor, or by contacting the SENCo. Support will sometimes continue into the Sixth Form, where the focus is on Study Skills, including time management and essay writing. Lessons generally take place during a private study period. At this point, the objective is not to give extra lessons in the specific subjects being studied, but to facilitate learning in a more general way and to promote autonomy. 10-09

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Aspergers
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders Y
CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
English as an additional language (EAL)
Genetic
Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory
Has SEN unit or class Y
HI - Hearing Impairment
Hospital School
Mental health
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Natspec Specialist Colleges
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Special facilities for Visually Impaired
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
VI - Visual Impairment

Who came from where


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