Fundraising for the Future
Fundraising for the Future is written, designed, produced and edited by St
College School staff
Front cover: House Cross Country & back cover: Senior House willow tree. Inside cover: top left: Monet-inspired art in the Quiet Garden; top right: Christmas Service; Bottom left: Rockley Activity Trip & bottom right: The Wizard of Oz Drama Production
John’s
Welcome
A St John’s education is unique. Over many years, the School has developed its Emotions For Learning (E4L) programme to give children a toolkit for life. Not only does this help them learn how to regulate themselves emotionally to be the best learners they can, it gives them strategies which they can use for the rest of their lives.
We also believe that meeting children where they are in their developmet and seeing the world through their eyes is vital in capturing their imagination and instilling a life long love of learning. At the heart of this is creativity, a skill we ask of our teachers as well as wanting to develop in the children. Further details about our educational offering can be found on the School’s website: www.sjcs.co.uk
The School’s mission is to try and provide this unique education to as many children as we can from different backgrounds. We have therefore set up a development led by Rhys Paterson to reach out to our many supporters in the hope that we can raise enough money to create an endowment which will support transformational bursaries for children who would thrive at St John’s but whose families cannot afford to send their children here.
It has been my privilege to lead the School over nine years and, as I hand over to my successor Sarah Wright in September 2025, I hope you will consider giving generously to our ambitious campaign and, as a former pupil or parent, join our community on SJCS Connect.
Neil Chippington Head
When children are little, we talk grandly of child-focused education but we are soon distracted by concerns about next schools, public exams and university all with the hope that this will lead to a fulfilling career. The earliest years of education are often where children are happy, gain confidence and have been proven to be the key to success in later life.
The teaching at St John's is outstanding, the commitment of staff is second to none and, as a result, the children respond, learn and excel. The Governors are not willing to compromise on the quality of teaching and learning in spite of the ever-increasing costs of delivery, especially those outside our control.
We recognise those costs need to be reflected in the fees, which may be challenging for families who are making a significant investment in their children’s education.
A St John’s education is both transformational and inclusive. The Governors wish to improve its accessibility and ensure help is available when fees may be a barrier. Our goal is to raise a Bursary Endowment Fund to provide financial support for children who would not otherwise be able to benefit from a St John’s education.
Your generosity will change lives and enable more children to experience the magic that is St John’s, and to become the best version of themselves and set them up for their bright futures.
Lindsay Dodsworth Chair of Governors
Lydia & Lucas’ Stories
I wish to express my immense gratitude for making it possible for my little girl to have had the good fortune and privilege to attend this amazing School.
All the fascinating and useful knowledge that she was taught through the academic programme, the immense variety of activities in sports, music and the arts, as well as the meaningful values instilled, have been inspirational.
Sophie Kopanou, Lydia's mother
St John’s College School was a remarkable experience for me, particularly as a young newcomer and immigrant. I joined the School at 11 years of age, and continued until the final year of the Prep School. Looking back on those years, I am aware that I grew not only as a student, but as a person within the School's family-like environment and have only the fondest of memories for all the staff and activities there. My teachers encouraged me to open up to many worlds, particularly that of Drama. Mr Clarke was a deeply inspirational figure during my time at St John's; I felt included, the lessons were not only interactive but special - I felt appreciated, supported, that I belonged. In Form 5 I took on the role of Captain Hook in Mr Clarke’s quirky production of Peter Pan: a female Captain Hook with a thick Greek accent. I was supported, encouraged, and uplifted just as I was by the Head of Music, Mr Kirk.
St John's was like a family to me inspiring and guiding me through not only the lessons but also the diverse activities and visiting speakers invited to open and enrich our minds. This School took me into its arms with great care and generosity and taught me important lessons which I will never forget.
Lydia Kopanou, 2021 Leaver
I was fortunate enough to receive a St John's College School bursary for Years 7 and 8. This amazing School gave me a multitude of opportunities and improved my skills both inside and outside of the classroom which has helped me immensely in my further education at The Leys. In the classroom, St John's created a great learning environment and encouraged me to be curious and passionate about subjects. Teachers explained concepts in an engaging and effective way and were always keen to answer any questions I had. The opportunities outside the classroom were also phenomenal, with an abundance of co-curricular choices.
I particularly enjoyed participating in the School Drama productions such as: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, the Passion Play, Shakespeare Plays, Poetry Evening and doing sports such as cricket and rowing. The academic and co-curricular environment I experienced at St John's has helped me greatly in my education moving forward. The lessons I learnt from my Drama teachers allowed me to gain a Drama scholarship to The Leys.
There, I have carried forward the academic curiosity and diligence that St John's taught me. Amongst all of these phenomenal opportunities, in my opinion the most characteristic feature of St John's is its kind nature. The School has a very welcoming atmosphere and, despite not being from a financially advantaged background, I never once felt out of place. I have made great, long-lasting friends at this School and the two years I spent there were extremely happy ones.
Lucas Mudkavi, 2022 Leaver
Thanks to the kindness of this School, I have been privileged with a world-class, well-rounded education.
The School was exceptionally kind to grant me the bursary as we as a family had to experience a terrible time with my Dad being in a coma for a few weeks. Thankfully, to my joy, he is slowly on the mend. The School have looked after me amazingly well.
I am extremely grateful to be given the chance to be educated in this wonderful school: it's been an amazing journey. I am proud to be a Johnian.
“ ”
Q & A with Rhys Paterson Development Director
What is Development at St John’s College School?
The new development initiative at the School is focussed on fundraising as well as alumni and community relationships.
Why are you starting a SJCS Connect website?
There is genuine feeling around the School that we could and should be doing more to engage with our alumni, our former parents and friends of the School. A St John’s education is unique and we want to reach out and find ways of bringing our community together. As part of this, we have decided to create a community portal that offers our alumni and parents a way of connecting with each other. I hope you will find the new site easy to use and I encourage you to take full advantage of the investment the School has made in this platform.
How else do you plan on engaging with the community?
Firstly, we want to increase the number of events we are hosting, I am particularly interested in organising regular alumni events focussed on particular year groups and ages. Whether you are based here in Cambridge or across the country, our aim is to facilitate events where you are.
Are you only raising funds for bursaries?
Given the current political and financial climate, our current priority is the Bursary Fund. However, we recognise that there are some potential capital projects around the School which we would be delighted to talk about to possible donors. If you are thinking about making a gift and you want to put it into a capital project then please get in touch and book a time in the diary for a meeting about how that might work.
What’s the best way to support the School’s Development?
We are trying to give our supporters many ways to make an impact on the work of the School and support our development mission. The best way to do this is to make a donation to the School’s Endowment Fund. This can be a one-off donation or through a regular direct debit. If you are thinking about making a significant gift I would encourage you to get in touch so we can discuss the impact of your donation.
We are also introducing Gifts in Wills and have partnered with Fair Will allowing you to utilise a free will service and potentially leave a legacy to the School. If you would like more information about this or would like to include the School in an existing will then please do get in touch.
We have also partnered with Run For Charity which enables our community to access over 800 events across the UK, largely sporting events including runs, cycles and walks, giving our community a chance to challenge themselves whilst raising money for the School.
If making a donation, leaving a legacy gift, or taking part in a charity challenge isn’t for you then we are also growing our corporate charity partnerships offering. So, if your business or your workplace would like to find out more about our partnership offering and is interested in utilising tax-effective giving, then please do get in touch to find out more. Please see pages 6 and 7 for more details.
What are your Bursary targets?
There is an absolute passion within the School to ensure that we are offering our unique education to as many children as possible, regardless of their financial circumstances. Our aim is to have at least 10% of the pupil population (about 40 children) benefiting from this new Bursary Endowment Fund, including a number of 100% transformational bursaries. We have an ambitious overall target of raising £15 million.
Rhys Paterson rpaterson@sjcs.co.uk
01233 272710
Ways to Give
Make a Donation
One of the most effective ways to support the School is to make a financial donation, either through direct debit or one-off gifting. Please get in touch with the Development Department if you would like to make a significant donation.
Leave a Gift in your Will
We have teamed up with Farewill to help you write or update a simple will for free – either online or over the phone. There's no obligation to include St John's College School in your will when using this service but we hope to be considered once your loved ones are provided for. We can also help you include us in an existing will.
Join as a Corporate Partner
We create bespoke partnerships to help businesses fulfil their corporate social responsibly. Through corporate giving not only will you have a positive impact on our children, but business benefits include marketing opportunities, use of tax-effective giving, priority access to our events, staff engagement and networking opportunities.
With thanks to our Corporate Partner: Tees Law
Take Part in a Fundraising Challenge
We have teamed up with 'Run For Charity', giving you access to over 800 events across the UK and abroad. Explore all the ways you can challenge yourself and support the School.
Your generous support opens doors for deserving pupils, enabling them to fully engage in their academic pursuits and personal development.
Members of St John's College School team at the Cambridge Half Marathon, March 2025
SJCS Connect
alumni, parents, past parents and friends of the School.
We have created a way to keep our community connected and together.
SJCS Connect will be your hub to re-connect with old friends, keep-in-touch with the School, explore mentoring opportunities, join clubs, create forum discussions, flick through photo galleries, keep up-to-date with reunions and events, and support the School’s fundraising campaigns.
This easy-to-use platform, with a simple sign-up process is available on desktop and mobile devices.
Our Development Team will continue to add new features and enhance the platform ensuring you have the best experience possible. The new community website for
SJCS Connect!
Join Here
To access the new website, please visit sjcsconnect.co.uk or scan the QR code below.
You can register with your details or existing Facebook, LinkedIn or Google accounts to access the full range of content.
We are delighted to offer this to our community and hope you enjoy exploring and connecting with the entire SJCS community.
