A small outdoorsy day and boarding school in Devon where children can explore (and often excel) in the wide variety of creative and outdoor activities on offer.

St John’s School, Sidmouth is a friendly, outdoorsy all-through day and boarding school with a superb coastal location and a strong family vibe. 

Perched on a hilltop in the seaside town of charming Sidmouth, this independent school for boys and girls aged from two to 19 puts the needs of individual students first with its family ethos and focus on pastoral care. There are no group open days but individual tours of the school, and the school dog is a much-loved member of the St John’s family.

Describing itself as a “small English school with a big international heart”, St John’s stands out from the typical British independent prep by being much more international in its outlook. Its all-through education leads to IGCSEs (the international option of the GCSEs), the school runs exchange trips with its sister schools in Europe, and it runs several  flexible study options for international students.

Offering an alternative to the very formal, traditional education of some UK independent schools, St John’s also focuses on inquiry-based, hands-on learning that has many similarities to the IB programme. Students complete a project at the end of Year 6 for example, which is very similar to the IB’s MYP Personal Project.

As an all-through school, children in the Nursery and Junior school benefit from having access to the facilities and specialist teaching of a much larger school. This includes the teaching of Spanish from Nursery, and the use of the sports hall, extensive playing fields, and a heated indoor/outdoor swimming pool. We particularly like the Welly Boot Camp, a nature zone where students can BBQ, enjoy outdoor story time and climb trees (if they earn their Tree Climbing Licence that is!).

Curriculum

Inquiry is at the heart of the school’s approach to learning, and there’s a focus on encouraging students “to be inquirers, to take responsibility for their own learning and to be independent thinkers who will not shirk away from a challenge”. While teaching follows the National Curriculum for England (and students take IGCSEs), St John’s has designed its own curriculum around key principles of the IB programme. It’s not about students learning by rote, but far more about finding things out for themselves.

Teaching in the Nursery (2.5 to 4 years) follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combined with inquiry-based learning. It’s conveniently open from 8am to 5pm, term time only, and the school’s youngest students have their own standalone buildings within the grounds of St John’s.

Learning in the Junior and Senior school continues to follow the National Curriculum for England, with specialist teaching in art, design and technology, Spanish, music, swimming, PE and science (Year 5 and 6). There are also Forest School lessons in the Nursery and Junior school, giving students the opportunity to live a countryside childhood to the full.

In the Senior school students work towards taking IGCSEs in their final year at the school (Year 11). St John’s does not have a Sixth Form, so students need to apply elsewhere to take A Levels or the IB Diploma Programme; the school’s approach to education can mean that students are well-prepared to take either pathway to university.

The school has a long history of offering a wide range of study programmes for international students including Short Course (ages 9-16); Immersion (full inclusion in mainstream school from age 9-16); and Pathway to GCSE Programme (ages 14-16).

Class sizes are small, capped at 20 students.

Beyond the classroom

As part of what headteachers describes as “a fabulously varied curriculum”, St John offers a wide choice for sport and the arts.

Many students learn a musical instrument or sing, and there are peripatetic music lessons for drums, acoustic and electric guitar, church organ, piano, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin. Students perform in the school chapel, and on stage in the drama hall.  

There’s also plenty of space for sport – rugby, football, futsal, hockey, netball, cricket, swimming, rounders and athletics – and sport is both inclusive and taken seriously in competitive matches against local schools.

Boarding

The majority are day students, but there are options for full, weekly or flexi boarding. Most boarders are overseas students, coming from Spain, China, Kazakhstan, France, Russia, Chile, Ecuador and South Africa.

The school has recently spruced up its boarding facilities with a renovated Boarders’ Common Room; the boarders also have their own living room to do prep in or watch movies. Weekends involve baking, sports, games and film nights, having fun in the swimming pool, and visiting the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline on their doorstep.

Admission and fees

Most students join at Nursery (2,3 or 4 years), Year 3 & 4 (age 7,8,9) or Year 7 (age 11). 

St John’s is a non-selective school so there is no specific entry test.  However, the admissions process is slightly different, depending on whether you are applying from the UK or overseas.

Annual fees range from £6,270 to £10,125 for day students, and from £19,560 to £20,985 for UK boarders (Years 4-11). Fees for international boarders range from £24,525 to £25,800.

Our view

Good for: It’s a small school, so will suit those students who thrive in a smaller setting. With this comes a very supportive and nurturing environment where children can explore (and often excel in) in the wide variety of creative and outdoor activities on offer.

Not for: It may not be your first choice for boarding, unless living overseas, as this is very much a day school; most boarders are overseas students who may stay at the school for as little as one term or for the whole of their education. It’s also a very outdoorsy school where children are encouraged to play outdoors in all weathers, climb trees, and build dens, so if you prefer a more ‘indoor’ education this may not be for you.

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