Enquiries

Applications to enter St John’s School are welcome from girls and boys at two main points of entry: Fourth Form (Year 9) and Lower Sixth (Year 12). Places may occasionally become available in other year groups and further details are available from the Admissions Registrar. Choosing a senior school for your son or daughter is an important decision for a family and we would encourage both prospective parents and pupils to visit the School. You will be most welcome at one of our termly Open Events or, should you wish to explore your interest in the School further, arrange to meet the Headmaster on an individual or group visit. On these occasions, the Headmaster or Deputy Headmaster will show visitors the teaching areas and a pupil will then show visitors the Chapel, Sports Hall, Swimming Pool, Sports Fields, Music, ICT, Art and Design Technology Departments, the Library and House accommodation (boarding or day). Dates of our Open Events are listed on the School website. In the Autumn Term we also hold a separate evening for pupils wishing to join the Sixth Form. If you wish to attend our Open Events or arrange a visit, please call the Admissions Registrar on 01372 373000 or e-mail: admissions@stjohns.surrey.sch.uk

Admissions Policy

Each academic year the School offers approximately 80 places to boys (and from September 2010, 40 places to girls) aged 13 wishing to enter the Fourth Form (Year 9) and approximately 40 places to girls and 10 to boys aged 16 wishing to enter the Lower Sixth (Year 12). Selection is made principally on the basis of recommendation from a pupil’s current Head, as well as taking into consideration his or her co-curricular strengths. A conditional place will then be offered subject to him or her achieving the required grades at Common Entrance or GCSE. Special arrangements are made for pupils who attend schools that do not prepare for these examinations and they will be required to sit St John’s School’s own entry assessments in Maths and English in the year prior to entry. Allowances are made for those with specific learning difficulties (SpLD), such as Dyslexia. However, an offer of a place may not be made if it is felt that the presence of such pupils in class will be detrimental to the learning of other pupils or if the School feels unable to meet the specific needs of the pupil.

ENTRY AT FOURTH FORM (YEAR 9)

Parents who wish their child to be considered for entry at 13 should firstly discuss their choice with their current Head, and applications should be received by the School at least two years or more in advance of his or her proposed date of entry. Once registered and while applicants are in Year 6, St John’s will request reference reports from the Head at their current school. This process is undertaken at regular intervals during the year. Following a report and recommendation from the respective Head, a conditional offer of a boarding (weekly or full) or day place will be made at the discretion of the Headmaster of St John’s. To guarantee this place a deposit is then requested and a closing date of one month will be given to accept. A continued positive recommendation would then be expected from the candidate’s current school. On acceptance of the place offered, a deposit of £1,000 (£3,000 for overseas pupils) is payable. The deposit is subject to the School’s terms and conditions as listed in the Parent Contract and may be refunded up to 20 months before the date of entry. Parents are requested that in accepting a place at St John’s, they agree not to accept a place at another senior school. Very occasionally, the Headmaster may feel on receipt of a Head’s report that a pupil still has some way to go before achieving the standard required by St John’s. In this case, it may be necessary for a pupil to undertake an entry assessment (Maths and English) in the Spring Term of Year 7. Once the year group is full, a waiting list will then be opened and the above admissions procedure will still apply as places become available.

Common Entrance

Candidates who have accepted the offer of a place based on a predicted achievement are required to take the Common Entrance Examination at their current Prep School in the June prior to entry in September. The Common Entrance pass mark for entry in 2010 is 55% in Mathematics, Science and English, and an overall average of 55% in non-core subjects. Candidates who perform exceptionally across a range of subjects will be considered for Academic Scholarships. Should a candidate’s performance in Common Entrance be unsatisfactory and we are not able to offer a place, the deposit will be refunded.

Non Prep School Entrants

Candidates at schools that do not prepare for Common Entrance, and have accepted an offer based on their current Head’s report, are required to take the School’s own entry assessment papers in English and Maths. These examinations are held at the end of January of the year prior to entry in September.

Scholarship Examinations

Scholarship Examinations are held in the Spring Term prior to entry and a number of Academic, Music, All-Rounder and Sport Awards are available. All candidates must be under 14 on 1 September in the year in which they sit and attend on the recommendation of their current Head. Further information about scholarships is given in our Annual Information Booklet. We also offer scholarships to pupils who perform exceptionally well in their first year at St John’s School.

ENTRY AT SIXTH FORM (Year 12)

Selection for Year 12 entry is made principally on the basis of recommendation from an applicant’s current Head and predicted GCSE results, as well as a short interview. Applications and a registration fee of £100 should be received by the Autumn half-term prior to the year of entry and interviews are held towards the end of that term. A conditional offer will be made subject to achieving at least six B grades at GCSE, which must include B grades or above in the subjects they wish to study at AS level (where appropriate). In addition, all applicants must achieve at least a C grade at GCSE Maths and English Language (or equivalent). The same entry requirements apply to pupils already at St John’s. On acceptance of the place offered, a deposit of £1,000 (£3,000 for overseas pupils) is payable. The deposit is subject to the School’s terms and conditions as listed in the Parent Contract. If a pupil’s performance at GCSE is unsatisfactory and regrettably we are not able to offer a place, the deposit will be refunded. Parents should note that, on accepting a conditional place, they become liable for the first term’s fees if they do not subsequently take up the place. Academic, Art, Music, All–Rounder and Sport Awards are also on offer to Sixth Form pupils. All Lower Sixth pupils can expect to proceed to the Upper Sixth in order to complete their A level courses. A minimum of three passes in their AS level exams taken at the end of the Lower Sixth is required for entry into the Upper Sixth.

2010 Scholarships & Awards ~ Fourth Form Entry (13+):

Bursarial Assistance

A Bursary is separate from a Scholarship award and can be made available in exceptional and deserving cases prior to admission or during a pupil’s education. Application Forms may be obtained from the Bursary. The provision of bursarial assistance is subject to means testing and is assessed by completion of an application form, which must be supported by documentary evidence. A home visit may also be carried out during the assessment process. Applications should be made before the end of December for pupils entering the School in September the following year. Notification of the outcome of assessments will be made by the end of January. Bursarial awards are reviewed annually and may be withdrawn if parents’ circumstances change during a pupil’s time at the School. A Bursary may also be provided in cases of unforeseen financial hardship during a pupil’s time at the School.

Grants

Where further financial assistance is needed in excess of bursarial assistance, the School will support applications to other grant-making bodies. Further information is available from the Bursary..