St John's Beaumont Preparatory School Prospectus 2020

St John’s Beaumont

Our Mission We pursue excellence in teaching and learning through the development and care of the whole child. We promote Christ as the model for life where students and teachers may grow in the discernment needed to live each day with courage and compassion.

Welcome I would like to begin by welcoming you to St John’s.

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to read this brochure: I hope it allows you the opportunity to learn about the life of St John’s. It should give you a flavour of the many varied lessons and activities that our boys enjoy on a daily basis.

St John’s is a very special place to work and to learn. Our boys are offered every possible opportunity to excel in a wide variety of areas, both academically, but importantly, in the wider curriculum as well.

Boys are encouraged to engage and excel beyong their natural strengths and interests. We strive to create a generous and supportive Christian community of boys, staff and parents, where

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we learn to see challenge and risk as something ultimately nurturing and positive.

We are blessed to live and work in such asthetically beautiful buildings and have the best possible resources with which to learn. However, you will find that it is our boys and the staff who support them, that reflect the true character of St John’s and make it everything that it is.

Please do get in touch, if there is anything more you wish to know about us, we will be pleased to explain it in more detail.

Giles Delaney Headmaster

History St John’s Beaumont was opened in 1888 initially as the preparatory school for the Jesuit public school, Beaumont College, which was also situated in Old Windsor. It was designed by John Francis Bentley, one of the most famous architects of his day and the architect of Westminster Cathedral in London.

The school was built initially for 60 boys aged between 7 and 13 and this can still be seen in the provision of 60 carved wooden chapel pews and 60 individual dormitory cubicles.

However, over recent years, the school has expanded both its classroom provision and its facilities to accommodate over 300 pupils.

It is called St John’s after St John Berchmans, a young Dutch saint who died whilst still very young, aged 21 and who was canonised by Pope Leo XIII in the year 1888.

More recent additions to the School’s facilities have included a 25 meter indoor swimming pool, purposebuilt sports centre, art studio and library, music school, science laboratory, prepreparatory department, outdoor theatre and a forest school.

In 1967 the Society of Jesus took the decision to close Beaumont College and move many of the pupils to another Jesuit school in Lancashire (Stonyhurst College). St John’s retained the sports field of Beaumont upon its closure; today known as the ‘Beaumont Flats’.

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The Pre - Pr e p (N ichol a s Ow en Block) The Nicholas Owen Block is our colourful and vibrant Pre-Prep department. Each day is busy and fun-filled, with the boys being taught a wide range of subjects, including weekly drama, music and swimming lessons, taught by subject specialists teachers. Staff-to-pupil ratios are kept deliberately low to ensure the highest possible quality of provision is offered to our boys at such an important stage in their education.

outside area is a wonderful place for interactive games and relationship building at this early age. Learning through play is incorporated into daily planning, ensuring the boys achieve the highest levels before moving onto the National Curriculum.

Boys also enjoy regular access to our wonderful Forest School.

Religious Education plays a large part in the Pre-Prep: daily prayers are said in the classroom each morning and at lunch time in the Refectory. The boys take part in weekly assemblies, whether on a religious or topical subject and these are very often presented to our parents and grandparents, to great acclaim.

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This enables boys of different abilities to work at an appropriately challenging level. There are many ways we begin to support boys in doing this, one being the introduction of subjectspecialist teachers.

Boys become comfortable with a small number of additional teachers as well as receiving the best possible introduction to the wider curriculum.

At this age, boys typically begin learning a musical instrument and are encouraged to play in regular informal concerts to gain experience and confidence of performing in public.

Early Years Our Early Years boys follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), giving the boys a broad learning journey where reading, writing and number work are taught through hands-on and fun activities. The glass-roofed

Each Early Years class (Nursery and Reception) are taught by a specialist, qualified teacher and supported by trained Early Years support staff which allows a great deal of small group work.

From the beginning at St John’s, we emphasise the importance of literacy and numeracy, but also importantly the need to build each boy’s confidence.

Parents may choose a ‘mornings only’ admission during their son’s first term in Nursery. This can often provide boys with a gentle introduction to the Pre-Prep. In such cases, boys may depart school after lunch (12.30pm).

Pre-Prep Key Stage 1 Blandyke (Year 1) and Berchmans (Year 2) boys learn by following the National Curriculum.

Daily Numeracy and Literacy lessons are taught through engaging activities, while much practical work takes place, helping the boys to learn about the world around them.

For example: fun Victorian teaching methods are used to learn about the past and boys will participate in practical Science experiments, like learning about electrical circuits to make a light bulb work.

In Year 2 (Berchmans), as the boys become a little older, they are encouraged to become more independent. A sensible level of Homework aims to help them consolidate their learning effectively.

There continues to be a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy but the slightly longer day allows us to introduce French as well as more sport and humanities.

Students-of-the-Week are celebrated in assemblies and the boys take great pride in their coloured certificates.

Pre-prep join the rest of the school for Whole School Mass three times every term and have their own ageappropriate liturgies in the school’s beautiful Chapel. Our patronal feast day (St Nicholas Owen) in March is a wonderful day when the boys learn all about the brave and marvellous things St Nicholas Owen achieved in his lifetime and beyond. This is celebrated with a special lunch.

Sport All Pre-Prep boys take part in Physical Education (PE) and Swimming lessons. During PE, the boys learn about spatial awareness including; balance, agility, ball skills, dance and gymnastics. In the swimming pool, they learn water safety and how to float. Rugby and football skills are introduced in Blandyke (Year 1), with football matches taking place against local schools. Berchmans (Year 2) thoroughly enjoy tag rugby, preparing them for contact rugby further up the school. The summer term brings all the boys’ learning together when they compete in the InterAnimal

Sports Day, to see whether the Tigers, Yaks or Emus are the best, cheered on by their parents.

Activities Boys from Reception upwards are offered a wide variety of after-school activities to keep them busy and create well-rounded boys. These range from tennis and football, through to art and Lego, all the way to Spanish and self-defence. The after-school care programme is run on a daily basis from 3.00 pm until 6.00 pm. This helps boys to interact with children from other years and undertake a variety of fun activities.

After-School Care After-school care is offered up to 6 p.m. to include a hot ‘supper’.

A range of activities will take place including art and craft, construction, physical exercise using our beautiful outdoor learning environment as well as our structured play areas.

Parents can book the care termly or weekly ad-hoc.

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Middle School Our Middle School covers Years 3 to 5 (our year groups are named Bellarmine, Lower Elements and Upper Elements respectively). The Head of Middle School, a member of the School Leadership Team, has day to day responsibility for this part of the school and is readily available to parents to discuss their son’s progress.

The Middle School aims to build on the excellent progress the boys will have made in our Pre-Prep by encouraging the boys to engage actively in their learning and by developing their self-confidence, whether through the academic curriculum or the many wider oppotunities within the school.

Teacher pupil relationships are vital to the learning of any child and the teaching structure within the Middle School recognises this.

Boys are taught the majority of their lessons by a qualified and experienced class-teacher with an increasing number of subjects taught by subject specialists (e.g. music, PE, RE, humanities).

From Year 4 boys begin to become involved in our weekly ‘Magis 6

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programme’, at which visiting speakers talk to the boys about the wider world (science, medicine, politics, exploration, philosophy to name but a few).

They are also encouraged to make the most of the valuable ‘Formation Time’.

This is time offered to each boy from Year 3 which they are encouraged to invest in a way that develops important areas, perhaps in which they might not yet excel.

The time is also used to help them develop excellent work, learning and revision habits by teaching them critical thinking, organisation, revision and memory techniques as well as examination skills.

A lot of fun is had within the Middle School; boys are encouraged to make the most of the time available to them and are supported when they want to pursue their own projects. They are invited to join both the Pupil Parliament and the Food Committee.

Trips remain a strong element of the education at St John’s. It is during their time at the Middle School that the boys experience their first overnight trip and sleep wild in the school’s woods, accompanied by a parent.

Upper School Our Upper School covers Years 6 to 8 (our year groups are named Lower Figures, Upper Figures and Rudiments respectively) and boys are now taught in subject specific classrooms.

The Head of Upper School, a member of the School Leadership Team, has day to day responsibility for this part of the school and is readily available to parents to discuss their son’s progress.

The Upper School builds on the strong progress the boys will have made in the Middle School and places a significant emphasis on encouraging the boys to engage even more actively in their learning, through a more meta-cognitive awareness of how they learn and make relationships.

Through the ‘Formation Time’, boys are encouraged to engage in opportunities to develop areas of learning independently but with the guided support of their teachers. Time is spent not just developing knowledge and skills in preparation for their examinations but also learning how to support each other and the wider school and local community.

Their excellent exam results are the result of a broad curriculum that meets not just their academic but also their

personal needs and allows them to see the benefits of focussing their time and efforts on the needs of others as well as themselves.

Teacher-pupil relationships and the ability to see each boy as an individual remain vital to the boys’ learning and is achieved through their subject specific teachers, offering many sports, activities and trips and acting as personal tutors, in which they see the boys from many different perspectives.

Boys continue to become involved in the weekly ‘Magis’ programme in which visiting speakers talk to them about the wider world (computer-science, medicine, politics, exploration, philosophy to name but a few). We retain a strong focus on examination preparation by offering study skills workshops which involve parents as well as teachers.

Despite the hard work that is inevitable as examinations loom, we still have a lot of fun in the Upper School: bushcraft, water-sports, team-building, activity days and discos are just a small selection of how our boys have time to relax and have fun together.

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Spiritual Life St John’s is a Roman Catholic school in the Jesuit tradition. The seasons and major feast days of the Christian year are celebrated with Masses for the whole school to which parents are very warmly invited.

Each week begins with Mass for either Middle or Upper school in turn. All boys attend Mass when appropriate to their year group and are further invited to participate by reading or serving at Mass if they should wish.

Each week ends for the Upper School with Sung Night Prayer for the Upper sung by the Chapel Choir.

Retreats are an important part of the Jesuit tradition of education. Each year group from Nursery to Year 8 (Rudiments) are offered two retreat days ever year. These aim to offer all boys, regardless of their own religion, an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the people that they are called to be: in the words of Fr Pedro Arrupe, ‘Men for Others’. Boys are encouraged to make the world a better place, and to develop their relationship with God through prayer.

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part of the formation of character at St John’s. Our annual patronal feast day for St John Berchmans is celebrated by every boy in the school and is one such example of the School creating demonstrative opportunities for boys to put into practice these expectations.

There are 11 Jesuit schools throughout the United Kingdom and each of them uses the Jesuit Pupil profile (below); a way of articulating the qualities of character and virtues we aim to develop in our pupils.

The boys at St John’s are able to relfect on and recognise the importance of the 16 virtues within the Profile, which aim to shape their understanding of the world and guide them to become

compassionate, articulate and active members of society and the community in which they live and work.

Our parents play a very active role in the life of St John’s. We value enormously their support for the wider ethos and the time they give so generously to help us in our many fundraising activities and community events.

Familes of all faiths are warmly invited to apply to join St John’s and involve themselves in the life of this nurturing and supportive community.

Health & Wellbeing St John’s is a Roman Catholic school and as such follows the liturgical life of the Roman Catholic church.

The families of boys of all faiths are warmly invited to apply to join St John’s and involve themselves in the life of this nurturing and supportive community.

Our parents play a very active role in the life of St John’s and we value their support for the wider ethos and the time they give so generously to support us through our many fundraising activities and community events.

All boys and staff attend Mass and / or Ni g ht

Prayer if appropriate to the age of the boys. Mass is celebrated as a whole school three times every term (beginning, middle and end) and each boy will attend two further masses in their respective year groups. All boys are invited to participate further by reading or serving at mass, although this is not compulsory. Parents are warmly invited to join us for these services.

Boys at St John’s are divided into three ‘house’ style groups, although they are referred to as ‘Animals’: Tigers, Yaks and Emus. Boys are assigned an animal from the moment they join the school and as they get older (from Year 2) they carry a ‘TYE” card, on which t heir

merits points or ‘TYEs’ are recorded.

They would typically receive these from teachers for displaying the character and virtues of a Jesuit Pupil (see Pupil Profile page 8), or even for being brave enough to try something new and challenging.

From Nursery to Year 5, boys are supported pastorally through the class system. The class teacher is the first point-of-call for boys and their parents on any matter. From Year 6 upwards, boys are supported in smaller groups by a personal tutor.

This person looks after each boy’s pastoral or personal needs during this time, and again, is the first point-ofcall for parents and boys. Each boy will meet with his personal tutor at least twice a week, but more often, if this is needed.

Boys are offered healthy snacks or fresh fruit at morning break and a range of salads and fresh fruit are part of every lunch.

A fully qualified nurse is available throughout the day and able to respond to medical problems or injuries if there was ever the need.

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Tr ip s The Wider Curriculum We go to every length possible to offer our boys other valuable opportunities outside of the academic curriculum which will enrich their understanding of the world. As such, trips are an integral part of the curriculum throughout the whole school from Nursery to Year 8 (Rudiments).

In the Pre-Prep, exciting trips help the boys to see more of the wider world, whether learning a b o u t histor y, science or mathematics.

Mountfitchet Castle, HMS Victory and Chessington Zoo are firm favourites. Visitors, such as the local Fire

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Service and Police Force, are being welcomed. The boys have enjoyed climbing inside a fire engine, dressing up in Police helmets and they welcomed a rescue dog from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home during one of our termly PSHE Days.

As the boys get older, a continuing wide range of day visits mixed with overnight trips offer them the opportunity to learn in a different context.

This also helps them to learn to get along with each other in different circumstances.

Each year group will experience at least one day visit every term to support their learning in class. In addition to this, the following extended overnight trips run on a regular basis:

Year 4 : Overnight trip to a Viking village in which the boys sleep in an authentic hut, work with Viking tools and eat Viking food.

Year 5 : Overnight ‘bushcraft’ camping experience with a parent. A valuable time for bonding between parents and sons.

This also offers the parents a wonderful opportunity to meet each other socially.

Year 6 : Four day trip to the battlefields of World War 1 in Belgium and France.

Year 7 : Five day trip to Normandy to consolidate their oral and aural French skills whilst enjoying some traditional French activities.

Year 8 : Three day geography and science fieldwork trip on the south coast (early September)

followed by a special leavers’ watersports trip (end of June in Devon.

The above trips are compulsory and as such, are included in a boy’s school fees.

The following optional trips have been run recently: Senior rugby tour to South Africa (Years 7 & 8) Geography fieldwork trip to Iceland (Years 7 & 8) Ski trip to France (Years 7 & 8) Exchange trip to Copenhagen, Denmark (Years 6 to 8) Swimming tour to Midmar Mile, South Africa (Years 4 - 8)

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Still Wider Recently, the school has organised the following additional activities, visits or trips: Visit of the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond MP to St John’s as part of our ‘Magis’ programme.

Visit of Princess Basma Bin Talal of Jordan.

Banquet in front of school to celebrate the Royal Wedding.

where they have great fun learning songs, preparing their costumes and learning about the true meaning of Christmas.

Armistice day is another very important day in the school year. It is a time when the whole school,

Visits of both a paralympian medal winner and olympian as part of our Magis programme A bi-annual whole school visit to London (including riding on the London Eye) where our older boys acted as ‘minders’ to our younger boys. Later in the day the boys visited age appropriate venues (Greenwich, Aquarium, Natural History Museum, Science Museum).

In the Christmas and Summer terms we hold a Grandparents’ Tea Party where our boys welcome, serve and entertain their grandparents. The event is in very large part organised by our Food Committee.

The highlight of the Christmas term for our younger boys are their Nativity plays 12

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including staff and parents join together to give thanks and remember those who gave their lives in war. Boys are actively involved in this service, whether by making their own poppies to place around the grounds or by reading, playing the trumpet or singing. It is a solemn but moving experience for all who attend.

Our Festival Day in November is given over to a day in service of the local community and in support of local and national charities and towards the end of the summer term, our Year 8 leavers organise a special ‘Mission Fair for the school that raises money for Jesuit Missions worldwide.

The Magis programme Each week a visiting speaker talks to the boys about the world outside St John’s and areas in which they play a leading role.

Recent speakers have spoken on topics as diverse as driverless cars, politics (former Chancellor of the Exchequor, Phillip

Hammond MP), sport (2016 Olympian and Paralympian), adventure, Interreligious dialogue and women’s role in society (Princes Basma of Jordan) , the Oil and Gas industry (Tullow Oil), charity, world poverty, pathology, wildlife photography, television and radio and many other subjects besides.

Formation Time This time is given to all boys from Year 3 upwards to invest in developing new skills and becoming comfortable in taking risks and accepting challenges.

They are encouraged to move away from choosing things they find purely enjoyable and in which they excel in favour of trying different opportunities and developing new talents. There are also opportunities for them to approach their teachers for additional support and extension.

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Boarding St John’s has always been a boarding school and retains its original accommodation albeit now modernised to offer more comfortable and practical accommodation. This provides the boys with both privacy and their own individual space in which to work.

Boarders enjoy a vibrant pastoral system with outstanding medical and personal care. Accommodation is divided into two dormitories with space for 30 boys each. Southwell dormitory is for senior boarders (Years 8 and 7) whereas Morse dormitory is for younger boys (Years 3 to 6). Whilst boys have separate night-time routines they spend much of their time together and older boarders often act as role models for the younger boys.

Evening routines are spent engaging in set activities (in which the whole school, including day boys participate) or specific boarding activities (hide ‘n seek’ around the school or cooking outdoors in the woods are particular favourite amongst the boys). Boarders have access to the school’s facilities in the evening (floodlit tennis courts, multi-purpose sports hall, gymnasium, art studio and swimming pool).

The full boarders enjoy a busy weekend. Saturdays invariably involve each 14

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boy representing the school in school sports fixtures, after which they will spend their time writing to their families, playing outside/in the woods, a walk alongside the river Thames, occasional shopping trips to Windsor, inter-dormitory competitions (football, table tennis, snooker are favourites), board games and only very occasional ventures on the resident games console.

Every Sunday the boarders go out on a trip: regular destinations for example include, water skiing/water sports, mountain biking, go-karting, ice skating, photography and other workshops, Thorpe Park etc.

St John’s offers full, weekly and very recently, tailored boarding options.

Tailored boarding offers boys the opportunity to experience boarding over either a 2 or 3 night stay throughout a term and beyond. For many it can serve as a more gentle introduction to weekly boarding as they move up throughout the school.

The Head of Boarding is assisted by two full-time dormitory masters, six assistant teachers, a team of school nurses and four boarding tutors.

The staff-to-pupil ratio is kept deliberately low to provide the boys with every opportunity to benefit from a high quality interaction with staff.

There is also a busy and valuable programme of cultural events each term that boys enjoy, including classical music concerts and theatre trips.

The Boarding Department and its parents are supported by the Boarding Administrator who provides a valuable link between them and the school and helps to organise the boys’ transport and miscellaneous appointments.

Admissions St John’s Beaumont is a Roman Catholic Day and Boarding School and accepts boys from 3 to 13 years.

Priority is given to boys who are baptized Roman Catholic, although boys of other faiths are warmly welcomed if it is evident that they would benefit from a Christian education and contribute positively to the ethos of the school.

Upon first enquiry, parents are warmly invited to tour the school either by attending one of our open mornings or one of our regular school tours.

Both opportunities aim to provide visitors with an authentic flavour of a normal day at St John’s. The next step is registration and on receipt of a completed form together with a non-refundable registration fee of £90 the boy’s name is added to our lists for possible entry.

Families are then invited to an interview with the Headmaster.

Following this meeting, prospective pupils for Pre-Prep, Nursery to Year 2, are invited for a taster morning/day which will include an informal assessment by the respective class teacher. This

assessment is designed to place each boy at ease and allow us to observe him in as natural environment as possible. We are eager to see how each boy learns, meets new challenges and interacts socially with boys of his own age.

Prospective pupils for Years 3 to 5 will be invited to spend the day with their peer group and undertake an in-class Mathematics and English Assessment.

Older boys entering into Years 6 to 8 will also sit English and Mathematics Assessments as well as a series of CAT

tests prior to spending the remainder of the day in class with their peers, again allowing us the opportunity to see how they interact with their peers and respond to new challenges and opportunities.

Report cards and testing from the student’s former school will be requested (if applicable). After the taster/assessment day an Admissions Committee will review the application and parents will be informed of our decision to admit as soon as possible.

Once a formal offer of a place has been made, parents are required to confirm acceptance by completing an acceptance form and forwarding a nonreturnable deposit of £500 (day boys and boarders whose parents are resident in the United Kingdom) or a charge equivalent to one terms fees (boarders whose parents are resident outside of the United Kingdom). In all cases, this deposit will be deducted from the boy’s final term’s fee.

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Fees & Bursaries For the 2019/2020 Academic Year, the fees per term are as follows: Day Boys (Years 4 to 8) Preparatory (Years 2 and 3) Pre-Preparatory (Nursery, Reception and Year 1) Full Boarders supplement Weekly Boarders supplement

A £90 non-refundable fee is payable on registration and parents who are EU citizens and non-EU citizens resident in the UK at the time of application will pay a deposit of £500 on acceptance of a place.

All other parents will pay a deposit of one term’s fees on acceptance of a place. Deposits are refunded when a boy leaves St John’s.

The School operates the Free Early Education Scheme through Surrey County Council for pupils below statutory school age.

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Bursaries The School opperates a generous Bursary Scheme to support families of boys who would benefit from the education provided at St John’s and who could otherwise not afford the full fees.

All applications received are assessed on a means-tested basis and the deadline for applications is the end of January each year.

£6,525 £4,440 £3,410 £3,480 £1,945

Application forms may be submitted throughout the year but no later than 31st January for the following academic year.

Application forms can be requested by emailing the Bursar’s Office at bursar@sjb.email.

Parents will be notified of awards by 31st March each year.

Fees include the costs of personal accident insurance and all compulsory residential trips, examples of which are below: Year Year Year Year Year Year

8 Residential Geography/Science Field-work trip 8 Outward Bound/ Water sports leavers’ trip 7 Trip to France 6 Trip to the First World War Battlefields in Belgium 5 Fathers’ and Sons’ overnight ‘Bushcraft’ activity (additional cost for Fathers) 4 Ancient Technology trip

Extras are payable termly in arrears and may include:: Day trips Additional tuition / support in English and/or mathematics and tuition in English as a foreign language.

Personal expenses such as travel, games equipment, public examination fees etc.

After-school care or certain after-school clubs and activities such as judo, polo or golf.

Private medical and fees refund insurances if requested.

Optional residential trips, such as skiing and sports tours.

Instrumental music lessons or theory classes.

(Fees are paid directly to the instrumental teacher).

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FAQ’s What are the lunches like?

What is the ‘Magis’ Programme?

The food here is really good! Our catering team provide an excellent, nutritious and balanced hot lunch with dessert and fresh fruit. Boys also have a mid-morning fresh fruit snack and, from Year 4, afternoon tea. Water is available to boys throughout the day.

Boarders are well looked after with a full breakfast and varied supper menu on a daily basis.

The Magis programme is a weekly programme which offers boys (usually from years 5 to 8, but occasionally younger boys as well) a range of interesting speakers from many different careers and disciplines. The aim of these talks is primarily to help them to see their curriculum in a wider context and to stimulate questions and discussion.

Are you a sporty school?

Are school sport fixtures compulsory?

Sport is an integral part of life at St John’s but not to the detriment of other important aspects including music, art and drama. Boys enjoy a wide range of curricular sporting opportunities including rugby, cricket, swimming, tennis, rock climbing, golf, athletics, rowing, badminton, volleyball and gymnastics. All boys from Bellarmine to Rudiments (Years 3 to 8) will represent the school in a rugby, cricket and football team and further representation is also available by selection in athletics, swimming, biathlon, triathlon, golf, tennis and rowing. Extra-curricular sporting activities include archery, SCUBA diving, badminton, fencing, selfdefence, kick-boxing and judo.

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Most certainly, yes they are. The essence of sport at St John’s is one of team spirit and it is of paramount importance that each boy plays an integral part in his team, whatever his age or standard. Every boy has the opportunity to represent the school regularly in the major sports (rugby, football and cricket), whatever his level.

How does the school communicate with parents?

St John’s communicates with parents regularly: there are termly parents’ evenings for every boy and staff

report on boys’ attainment and effort each term. The school provides a comprehensive Pupil Profile at the end of each year which refers to both academic achievement and personal development as well as extracurricular and sporting involvement.

How big are the class sizes?

22 is our maximum class size although it is very rare for class sizes to rise in excess of 20 boys. The staff : pupil ratio throughout the school is 1 : 8.

Will my son have to sit an entrance exam?

St John’s entrance criteria is academically non-selective and as such does not use a formal entry test. The School is keen to assist parents in finding the right fit for their son and their family as a whole.

An offer of a place in the school is determined on the basis of previous school records (if applicable), an interview with the Headmaster and a taster/assessment day.

It is our over-riding priority that we offer places to boys who will thrive at St John’s and who are well placed to play an active and positive part in the life of this busy purposeful Christian school.

Do you cater for all abilities?

Do you offer a bus service?

St John’s is able to cater for wide range of abilities and can provide limited support for boys with SEN or EAL needs. However, parents should recognise that the school day and the demands placed on each boy are notable. It is important for a boy’s confidence and achievement that he is able to contruibute fully to the life of the school.

We currently run a daily bus service to and from Windsor and Maidenhead.

However, we do offer bus routes according to demands.

How religious is St John’s?

St John’s is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit School for boys aged between 3 and 13.

The School positively welcomes boys of all religious beliefs but it is important that parents who choose St John’s do so in the knowledge that their sons will be educated in a Roman Catholic environment and their attendance at morning assembly and other religious services that occur throughout the year is compulsory. The Religious Education syllabus follows that which is laid down by the Roman Catholic church and within this boys are introduced to all major religions as part of our Religious Education, PSHE and morning assembly programme.

Do you provide before and after school care?

We offer after-school care for boys in the Pre-Prep and Middle School until 6.00pm and an early drop-off for PrePrep boys from 8.00am.

Boys in the Middle School may be dropped off from 7.55am and school ends at 4.00pm with clubs running until 5.00pm.

Boys in the Upper School may be dropped off from 7.55am and school ends at 5.00pm with clubs running until 6.00pm.

Are you a musical school?

Music provision at St John’s is very strong and reflects the high value we place on the creative arts generally.

We have a wide range of visiting peripatetic teachers who offer lessons in all orchestral instrument and a range of non-orchestral instruments as well

(e.g. organ, guitar, saxophone, drums).

We have an excellent Chapel Choir and singing at the school is very popular with the boys. There are a wide range of small ensembles which meet weekly and perform regularly at informal and formal concerts. There are approximately four concerts every term to ensure that every boy has the opportunity to perform in public at least once a year, if not more.

Does the School offer extra curricular activities?

The school runs a very large number of extra-curricular activities – all planned with boys in mind. For some boys, their personal strength may lie outside the academic curriculum and it is important that these skills are recognised to the greatest extent possible within the structure of the school.

The list of activities have included: philosophy, athletics, Lego, chess, football, swimming, open-water swimming, Mad Science, current affairs, neuro-linguistic programming, computer coding, first aid, climbing, mandarin, rowing, SCUBA diving, kick-boxing, tennis, Bio-mechanic fitness, cookery, golf, water polo, cycling and judo.

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St John’s Beaumont Preparatory School

Priest Hill, Old Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 2JN Telephone : +44 (0)1784 432428 www.sjbwindsor.uk