MixedIndependentBoarding

St John's College School

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, East of England · CB3 9AB

Rooted in Cambridge, St John's College School educates around 370 children from ages 4 to 13, with the option of boarding alongside day places. The Independent Schools Inspectorate awarded its highest grade of "excellent" for both education quality and personal development, and confirmed that all compliance standards were met. Notably, almost a third of pupils receive some form of SEN support, a sign of a school accustomed to meeting a wide range of needs. Led by headteacher Mrs Sarah Wright, it is a deliberately small community where individual children are unlikely to go unnoticed.

370

Pupils

excellent

ISI

£24,996

Day fees / yr

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Overview & data

Gender: Mixed
Type: independent (fee-paying) school
Age range: 4-13
Pupils: 370
Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, East of England
Website: https://www.sjcs.co.uk/
Telephone: 01223 353532

Headteacher

Head Mrs Sarah Wright

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Teaching & academics

An ISI judgement of "excellent" for education places St John's among the stronger performers on the standards the inspectorate measures. The school offers 11+ entry and prepares pupils to age 13, a span that allows steady, unhurried progress. The high proportion of children receiving SEN support suggests teaching is geared towards tailoring work to the individual rather than a single pace.

Learning support & SEN

SEN support: 31.36%
EHC plans: 1.98%

Arts & extracurricular

Scholarships

MusicAcademicDramaArtDesign TechnologySportHeadmaster's Award

Beyond the classroom

Scholarships span music, academic ability, drama, art, design technology and sport, alongside a Headmaster's Award, pointing to a school that takes breadth seriously and rewards talent across several fields. The mix of disciplines gives able children clear avenues to be stretched beyond the classroom.

Ethos & heritage

Boarding: Yes

Mobile phone policy

Children may bring phones to school only to enable them to contact parents/carers or be contacted at the end of the school day. Phones should be switched off and kept in the bottom of their school bag or in their locker. They are not to be used during the day, including during any breaks and are not to be used for any purpose other than for contacting parents/carers. Children are responsible for the safety of their phone and the content on their phone at all times. As an additional safeguarding precaution, the 'Go Guardian' filtering system is able to track children who have logged on using the St John's College Google address even via 3G and 4G access.

Money matters

Day fees (per year): £20,214 - £24,996
Boarding fees (per year): £39,384

Means-tested bursaries available. School currently supporting several children with refugee status. Awards rarely reach 100 per cent and all bursaries are subject to annual renewal.

Inspection reports

ISI rating: excellent
ISI personal development: excellent
Last inspected: 30 January 2024

Read the full inspection report ↗

The last word

A small, highly rated Cambridge prep with boarding and a genuinely broad scholarship offer. The means-tested bursaries, including support for children with refugee status, signal a school willing to open its doors wider than fees alone allow.

The Passmate verdict