St John's School, Leatherhead Review 2026: A Grounded Community with Strong Academic Results

When the Old Chapel bells mark the hours across St John's 50-acre Surrey campus, they ring out above one of England's most grounded independent schools. Founded in 1851 by Reverend Ashby Haslewood to educate the sons of poor clergymen, and now fully co-educational, the school has quietly built an enviable reputation for balanced excellence. The mid-Victorian buildings that have anchored the campus since 1872 sit comfortably alongside state-of-the-art facilities, a physical metaphor for the school's philosophy itself. With approximately 900 students aged 11 to 18, St John's operates with day, weekly, and flexible boarding options. The 2024 GCSE results place the school firmly in the upper tier: 79% of entries reached grades 9-7, well above the England average of 54%, ranking the school 1st locally among the 46 independent secondaries in Surrey and 106th in England (FindMySchool ranking). A-level results show similar strength, with 89% of entries at A*-B grades. This is a school that balances ambitious academics with unforced culture. Parents here speak repeatedly of "kindness" woven throughout school life, not marketing language, but the language of families who know the place.

The school's mood is purposeful without being frenetic. Year 9 pupils enter the Upper School with genuine anticipation. There is energy in the corridors, but not pressure-cooker intensity. Staff move through the buildings with visible authority and warmth. The house system, which binds every student from Year 9 onwards, generates real affiliation. Students belong to one of the school's Houses, including traditional buildings dating to the 1800s and newer residences like Hawkins House, which welcomed girls for the first time in 2019. The Houses are where pupils socialise, study, and eat breakfast each day. For boarders, they are home. The system works because it is not incidental; it is foundational to daily experience.

Reverend Edwards C Hawkins, who served as headmaster from 1861 to 1883, moved the school to its current Leatherhead location and shaped the institution the school remains today. The current Head, Alex Tate, arrived in August 2023 from a decade-plus career in international shipping after reading history at Oxford. Staff describe him as committed to the school's future trajectory. His arrival marked a philosophy of accessibility and genuine community rather than elitism.

The school's guiding principle is expressed simply: "High Hopes, High Standards, and High Spirits." What this means in practice is a place where pupils are encouraged to explore multiple dimensions of themselves, academic, creative, athletic, social, without the sense that one pathway is correct. The dining hall, stretching along one side of the main quad, is atmospherically charged at lunch, and evening dinners with formal dress are occasions that older students remember fondly. The chapel, featuring a striking 2014 window by artist Jude Tarrant focusing on war and its futility, is integral to school life as a space for reflection, not an imposed ritual.

GCSE Performance

St John's delivers strong GCSE outcomes that place it unambiguously in the top tier of independent schools. In 2024, 79% of grades achieved were 9-7 (the top two grade bands), compared to the England average of 54%. This 25-percentage-point advantage is significant and sustained. The school ranks 106th in England across all secondary schools (FindMySchool data), placing it within the top 2%. Locally within Surrey's independent sector, it achieves 1st position among 46 schools. 74% of entries achieved grades 8 and above, top marks. This consistency reflects both careful teaching and pupils arriving academically confident.

A-level results reinforce the picture. 89% of entries graded A*-B, well above the England average of 47%. The top-grade achievement rate is also striking: 20% of entries graded A* and a further 39% graded A. These figures represent a school where the academically ambitious can absolutely flourish, yet they do not suggest a grammar school's selective pressure. Entry to the school uses a common entrance examination at Year 9 combined with interview and school report; it is selective but not primarily academic culling.

Strength is fairly distributed across disciplines. The curriculum includes traditional subjects, Latin, Classical Greek, and Further Maths alongside sciences taught separately from Year 7. Modern languages (French, Spanish, German) appear alongside humanities (History, Geography). Arts and Design Technology are genuinely fostered, not peripheral. The school publishes neither discrete subject achievement data nor value-added measures; however, the breadth of strong results suggests consistent teaching across all areas.

A-Level Performance

A-level results demonstrate that this is not a school where lower school success creates complacency. 88% of entries achieved A*-B, reflecting sustained challenge. The school ranks 127th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 5% of sixth forms. With 20% of entries at A* and an additional 39% at grade A, the data speaks to selective retention and rigorous sixth form teaching.

Sixth form entry is not guaranteed for lower school pupils. Approximately 40% of Year 11 continue into the sixth form; the remainder progress to other schools or sixth form colleges. Entry requirements typically include GCSE grades of 6 and above in subjects the student wishes to study. This model maintains rigour without creating a false sense of safety for Year 11 students.

Teaching here follows the philosophy that pupils should understand not just what to think, but how to think. Lessons across the school observe consistent structures: clarity of learning objectives, a mix of direct instruction and discovery, and high expectations for independent work. Mathematics is rigorous, with setting from Year 4, allowing targeted teaching at different levels. Science benefits from the purpose-built Science Centre, completed in 2015, which contains eight state-of-the-art laboratories. The design deliberately engages pupils to explore through experimentation, discussion, and research rather than passive note-taking. Lower school pupils navigate their own dedicated learning spaces, created in 2016 within East House, which includes a large open-plan common room, garden room, multimedia room, and quiet study area. The intentionality of the space reflects a pedagogical commitment.

Class sizes remain small for a school of 900 pupils. Lower school classes typically run to 18-20, with sixth form sets often in single figures for specialised subjects. This allows teaching that is responsive to individual need and pace without sacrificing the energy of collective learning. The school employs approximately 40 teaching staff; turnover is low, suggesting continuity and relationship-building with pupils.

Pupils are assessed regularly but not perpetually. The pace of assessment reflects the view that learning is a process of consolidation and growth rather than constant measurement. Yet rigour is non-negotiable. Teachers have visible subject expertise and deliver content with confidence.

University Destinations

In the 2023–24 cohort measured by the school's leaver destinations data, 71% of sixth form leavers progressed to university. A further 12% entered employment, primarily in graduate-level roles. 1% continued to further education colleges. The pattern reflects a sixth form population from families where university is typically expected, yet with pragmatic alternative pathways available.

Destinations cluster around Russell Group and research-led universities. The school does not publish a detailed breakdown, but anecdotally students progress to Durham, Edinburgh, Bristol, Warwick, and Manchester with regularity. Oxbridge representation is modest: in the measurement period, one Cambridge acceptance was secured from six applications (17% offer rate), and three Oxford offers came from nine applications (33% offer rate), with zero acceptances. This reflects the school's academic strength without the singular Oxbridge-preparation culture of England's most selective boarding schools.

Professional pathways are particularly strong in medicine, law, and engineering. The school reports solid placement outcomes in these sectors, with pupils supported through detailed application guidance and interview preparation.

Sixth Form Entry

The sixth form welcomes external applicants. Approximately 60% of Year 12 entry comes from within the school; the remaining 40% join from other schools and sixth form colleges. External candidates sit the school's entrance examination and attend interview. The sixth form thus maintains a mix of continuity with fresh energy from outside.

St John's offers an embarrassment of richness here, and the breadth is genuine. The school publishes that there are 181+ clubs and activities available weekly across the school. This is not a list of possibilities; these clubs actively meet. The range spans traditional pursuits, chess, debating, rugby, orchestra, to specific interests like Photography Club, Mountain Biking, and ad hoc societies formed by pupil request.

Music: A Defining Pillar

Music is woven throughout school life with obvious seriousness. The Chapel Choir, one of the school's signature ensembles, performs regularly and has toured beyond the school. The School Orchestra offers orchestral learning to a significant cohort. Jazz provision exists alongside classical, reflecting genuine breadth of musical experience. A Tickell organ was installed in the Chapel in 2015, a tangible investment in the music programme. Approximately one-third of the student body learns a musical instrument, and some participate in national orchestras, a marker of exceptional attainment. Music prizes and competitions run throughout the year. The Old Chapel, renovated in 2014 and now restored to active use, provides an atmospheric venue for recitals and concerts. All this reflects a music programme that does not target an elite few but cultivates participation across the school. Music lessons via peripatetic teachers are arranged separately and billed directly, a standard model across independent schools.

Drama: Highly Professional and Accessible

The Performing Arts Centre, a flexible space with retractable seating, a state-of-the-art lighting rig (recently upgraded with intelligent LED systems), and full air conditioning, hosts major productions multiple times yearly. Recent shows have included both classic texts and contemporary works. The lighting rig investment, involving a new truss system that lowers to floor level, points to technical ambition and generosity of resource. Drama is accessible beyond those cast in main productions; workshops, drama festivals locally (the school achieves recognition in Leatherhead drama festivals), and youth theatre opportunities engage a wide cohort. Several pupils participate in the National Youth Theatre, suggesting pipeline into professional training.

Sports: Scale and Inclusivity

Sports facilities are exceptional. The Sports Centre, completed in 2020, includes a competition-standard 25-metre pool with six lanes, a gym with conditioning suite, a studio for dance and alternative training, and dedicated changing areas. Beyond the building, the campus provides nine rugby and football pitches, two Astroturf surfaces, six netball courts, four cricket squares with recently refurbished pavilion, five hard tennis courts (plus 24 synthetic courts in summer), and an athletics track. The scale is genuinely impressive.

Rugby, hockey, football, netball, cricket, tennis, athletics, and swimming form the core programme. The school fields teams across multiple age groups and ability levels. Lower school entry-level participation is high; the school emphasises "sport for all" whilst identifying and developing elite pathways for those with genuine talent. Representative honours and fixture results are tracked and celebrated, but the underlying ethos remains inclusive. The school's involvement in regular inter-school fixtures means pupils experience competitive sport without the pressure of academy-style selection at age 11.

STEM and Technology

The Science Centre provides leading facilities: eight laboratory spaces designed to stimulate curiosity and hands-on exploration. Design & Technology has dedicated workshop facilities with modern equipment. Computer science is offered as a subject and appears across the curriculum. Named clubs focused on technology and problem-solving, whether robotics, coding, or building challenges, give pupils the chance to apply STEM thinking to real problems. Enrichment days throughout the year often feature STEM-focused activities.

Leadership, Service, and the Combined Cadet Force

The CCF (Combined Cadet Force) has existed at St John's for over a century, founded in 1912. Today over 350 cadets participate, across Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force sections. CCF is compulsory for one year (Year 10) and optional thereafter. The programme offers structured military education, discipline, and leadership training. Royal Navy section is affiliated with HMS Collingwood; Army to the Coldstream Guards; Royal Air Force to RAF Odiham. The school also operates a Community Service Unit with over half the sixth form engaged in weekly volunteer placements in the local community, during evenings, weekends, and free periods.

Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme runs to Gold level, with sustained uptake. Pupils who complete Bronze or Silver in lower school often progress further. The school organises challenging outdoor trips and residentials, Morocco trips in Geography, Caribbean field work, sailing and climbing excursions, to support expedition training.

Societies and Specific Named Clubs

The school lists 181+ clubs across the year. Named clubs include Chess Club, Debating Society, Photography Club, Mountain Biking, and more emerging based on pupil interest. The Mathematics Society, Science Club, and Modern Language conversation clubs cater to specific curricular interests. Drama workshops complement formal productions. Music ensemble opportunities extend beyond orchestra and choir to smaller chamber groups.

Fees for the academic year 2025-26 are structured as follows. Lower School (Lower Third and Upper Third / Years 9-10) tuition is £9,760 per term including VAT; Senior School (Fourth Form through Upper Sixth / Years 11-13) is £11,090 per term including VAT. These are termly fees payable three times per year. Tuition fees cover normal curriculum instruction, lunches in school, and clubs and activities.

Boarding fees are optional and charged separately on a prepaid or ad-hoc basis. Weekly boarding (Senior School only) costs £3,535 per term in Autumn (13 weeks), £2,880 in Spring (11 weeks), and £2,665 in Summer (10 weeks). Regular boarding can be arranged for one, two, or three specified nights per week, at lower rates. Friday and Saturday evening boarding is not available, but weekly boarders may return on Sunday evenings. Ad-hoc boarding costs £92 per night, subject to availability.

Registration fee is £200 (£300 for overseas applicants) and is non-refundable. Upon acceptance, an acceptance deposit of £1,500 and fee deposit of £2,000 are required; these may be refunded under conditions outlined in the parent contract.

Additional expenses arise from public examination fees, trips, external activities (sailing, climbing), stationery, and equipment specific to Design Technology or Art projects. The school operates a 1:1 device scheme requiring pupils to purchase laptops or tablets to specified standards. School Fees Refund Scheme insurance (1% of fees termly) covers some reimbursement for absence owing to illness. Personal effects insurance (£8.31 per term) is optional; personal accident insurance is included at no charge.

The school offers advance fee payments at discounted rates for families who wish to prepay a capital sum towards fees.

Bursarial support, as noted, is available. The school also accepts childcare vouchers for boarding only up until the end of Lower Fifth (Year 10).

Entry Process

Admission at age 11 (Lower Third/Year 9) proceeds through the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an adaptive online examination covering maths, English (reading comprehension plus grammar/spelling), and verbal reasoning. The test is taken in the autumn term of Year 6. School reports and interview follow. Competition is notably strong: applications typically run at a 4:1 ratio (four applications per place), with candidates drawn from over 100 primary schools annually.

The school's selective approach means careful curation of the intake. Pupils admitted demonstrate academic capability but are equally chosen for their fit with the school's values. The school explicitly states that intellectual ability is necessary but not sufficient; interview and report assess character, resilience, engagement, and values alignment.

Admission at 13+ (Upper Third/Year 9 into the Upper School proper) follows Common Entrance examination combined with school report and interview.

At 16+ (Lower Fifth/Year 12), external candidates compete for approximately 40% of sixth form places. GCSE results, sixth form entrance examination performance, and interview determine selection.

Scholarships exist for academic, music, art, sport, and all-round achievement. Exactly half the school has examined these awards. These typically offer 10-25% fee reduction, though can be supplemented by bursary support.

Bursarial Assistance

The school retains its founding principle of accessibility. Means-tested bursary assistance is available to families who might otherwise be unable to afford full fees. The school remains particularly committed to the children of Anglican clergy of limited means, the original "Foundationers", and in some cases provides entirely free places. Bursary awards are reviewed annually and assessed through a confidential financial questionnaire.

The house system carries the pastoral load. Each pupil is assigned a House from Year 9. The Housemaster or Housemistress knows every pupil in depth, liaises with parents, and responds to pastoral concerns. Tutors (typically 6-8 pupils per tutor) provide daily touchpoint and academic oversight. For boarders, the house becomes a genuine second home; matrons and support staff provide daily care.

The school's guidance explicitly states that "kindness" is the guiding value. This is operationalised through anti-bullying policy, which is noted by inspectors as "most effective" and covers cyber-bullying explicitly. The arrangements for safeguarding, welfare, health, and safety are described in external assessment as meeting all required standards. Staff are trained to respond to pupil vulnerability; a counsellor visits weekly to support pupils needing additional emotional help.

Pupils with specific learning differences are supported through the Learning Support provision. The SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) contacts parents before arrival to arrange appropriate support. Approximately 39% of pupils are on the school's SEN register, typically for identified specific learning difficulties (SpLD); half a percent have an EHCP plan. Tailored specialist tuition is available for individual needs.

The school actively maintains that mental health and wellbeing are integral to learning. Boarding staff understand the particular sensitivities of pupils living away from home; pastoral structures and trained staff are in place to flag and respond to homesickness or adjustment difficulties.

School hours run 8:50am to 3:20pm. Boarding operates on a flexible model: flexible boarding allows occasional overnight stays, weekly boarding provides regular nights each week, and full boarding is available at senior level. The school operates during standard term times, with three main holidays plus half-terms. Term dates are published annually on the school website.

Transport is an active consideration. Approximately 30% of pupils live within a 10-mile radius; a further 30% travel from further along the A3 corridor, notably from Wimbledon. The school offers daily transport services and provides postcode details for accessibility. Road access is straightforward; rail connections to London are available via Leatherhead station (approximately 1 mile from campus). Parking is available onsite, with additional parking during holiday periods.

Uniform is worn and clearly specified. New pupils typically spend their first terms navigating the Leatherhead town centre location, close to shops and social resources, which parents appreciate as neither isolated nor overly urban.

The selective admissions process. Entry at 11+ is competitive, with four applications per place. The school is selective on academic grounds but equally selective on values and character fit. Families should be realistic about chances; that said, the interview-and-report emphasis means the school is not purely academically culled. Pupils who do not pass the highest academic cut-off but demonstrate resilience, engagement, and alignment with school values have secured places.

Boarding is optional but culturally central. The school's success owes much to its strong boarding community and house system. Day pupils are fully integrated, yet boarding culture, morning assemblies in house, evening study supervision, weekend activities, is woven through daily experience. Families choosing day-only entry should understand they are opting into a boarding-inflected school, not an exclusively day school.

Church of England affiliation is real. The school's Christian character is expressed through Chapel services, which are regular (though not daily). Pupils of other faiths are welcomed and accommodated; daily worship is not compulsory. However, the Christian ethos is genuine and pervasive. Families uncomfortable with this context should explore whether the school remains a good fit.

Co-education is recent and evolving. The school went co-ed at Upper School entry (Year 11) in the mid-2010s and then at Lower School entry (Year 9) more recently, welcoming the first year of girls in 2016. Girls House (Hawkins) arrived in 2019. The school remains a place where boys significantly outnumber girls in lower years, though the gender balance is improving. Girls choosing entry should be aware that they are joining an historically boys-focused community that is actively becoming more balanced.

St John's is a confident, purposeful school that genuinely believes in the individual pupil's capacity to grow intellectually and emotionally. The 79% A*-9-7 GCSE pass rate ranks it 106th, placing it firmly in the top 2% of schools in England; the A-level results (89% A*-B) sustain this position. Yet the school's defining character is not grade chasing but the cultivation of well-rounded young people who think carefully, act kindly, and contribute. The house system works. The facilities are excellent. The staff know pupils. The boarding community is genuine and tight-knit. Families who value balance, strong academics alongside serious sport, music, drama, and service, will find this a school that delivers.

Best suited to families seeking independent education with strong results and an ethos grounded in community rather than competition; day and boarding families alike; and pupils who want to explore multiple dimensions of themselves beyond the classroom. The selective admissions process is the main hurdle; once over that, the educational experience is exceptional. Bursarial support and scholarships mean access is achievable for talented pupils whose families face financial constraints.

This is a school that rewards curiosity, resilience, and genuine engagement. It is neither a pressure cooker nor a soft option, but a careful calibration of challenge and support. For the right family, it offers genuine excellence.