This guide is for international families and students considering St John’s Prep and Senior School（圣约翰预备及高级学校）, a private school on two north London campuses that also takes a small cohort of overseas students each year. It covers the school’s structure, programs from Early Years to A Levels, international entry requirements, fees, application dates and what life looks like for students joining from abroad. Every figure below comes from the official website (stjohnsprepandseniorschool.co.uk) in its August 2026 version; fees, dates and visa rules change, so re-check the website before committing.
St John’s Prep and Senior School: Profile and Campuses
St John’s Prep and Senior Schooloperates as two connected schools on two sites, both on The Ridgeway in north London: the Prep School in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, and the Senior School at North Lodge in Enfield, Middlesex. The school describes itself as a day school of around 500 local London pupils that also welcomes a small cohort of strong international candidates, who typically live with host families through the school’s homestay boarding arrangement. The website states that the school holds a licence to sponsor international students (its own wording is “tier 4 licence provider”) and holds an International School Award, and its motto, Res Ipsa Loquitur (“The Thing Speaks for Itself”), frames the school’s emphasis on outcomes and destinations. International families should note that this is a day-school environment rather than a traditional boarding school: pupils live with vetted host families and travel daily, with the school’s homestay team and weekend activities programme supporting boarders.
Programs: Early Years to A Levels
St John’s Prep and Senior Schoolcovers the full age range from Early Years to post-16. The Early Years Foundation Stage welcomes children to the Nursery classroom from their third birthday, moving into Reception where literacy, mathematics and phonics are taught daily. In the Prep School, Years 1–2 add specialist teaching in PE, Music, Drama, LAMDA, Art, Computer Science and French alongside class teachers, plus a Forest School programme in the school’s wooded grounds. From age 7 pupils stay for a compulsory homework session the school calls Prep Time: formal lessons end at 3.15pm and the day finishes at 4.30pm, with homework done under the form teacher’s supervision. All pupils study LAMDA as part of English and sit LAMDA exams at each level, and Year 6 pupils attend transition classes in English led by senior school teachers before moving up.
The Senior School runs Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9) and Key Stage 4 (GCSE). Languages are introduced progressively — French in Year 7, German in Year 8 and Latin in Year 9 — and while there are no sets in Year 7, mathematics sets begin in Year 9. Drama is weekly, LAMDA continues, and every student follows a PSHCE personal development programme. Residential trips are a feature: Years 7–8 ski in France, Year 7 visits York, Year 8 Paris and Year 9 Madrid. At Sixth Form, up to 30 students join each year to study three or four A Levels, reducing to three in the second year, from a menu of 19 subjects including Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Chinese, Computer Science, Economics, English Literature, French, Further Mathematics, Geography, Government and Politics, Greek, History, Mathematics, Persian, Physics, Physical Education and Turkish. Beyond the classroom the Sixth Form runs the European Youth Parliament, Young Enterprise, student publications, skiing, climbing and sailing trips, and the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
International Entry Requirements
For international students, St John’s Prep and Senior Schoolsets out its A Level entry requirements explicitly on the international pages. Candidates need outstanding prior academic achievement, a strong performance in the St. John’s International Entrance Test — which includes subject tests based on the student’s chosen A Levels — and, for students whose first language is not English, an IELTS score normally of 6.0 or above. The final stage is an interview with a Senior Leader, which determines whether an offer is made. The general entrance requirements are summarised as an interview plus an academic report from the student’s country of origin, and the school provides English classes to help non-native speakers prepare for IELTS. International applicants for lower year groups should note that the standard admissions stages (registration, visit, assessment and offer) apply, with the prep and senior routes described in the application section below.
The school reports its own outcomes on the international and results pages: GCSE success in core subjects (a grade 5 or higher in English and Mathematics) at 97%–100%, recent A Level mathematics results with 79% of students achieving A*–A, 84% of all science exams at A*–A, and A/A* grades for its international students consistently between 95% and 100%. These are the school’s own claims about itself, so treat them as context rather than as a basis for comparing schools. The school also lists university destinations including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, LSE, University College London, King’s College London, Warwick, Bristol and Edinburgh in the UK, and institutions such as the University of California, the University of Illinois Urbana, the University of Alberta, Eindhoven University of Technology and the University of Hong Kong abroad; UCAS guidance supports UK applications and SAT preparation supports US applications.
Fees and Costs
St John’s Prep and Senior Schoolpublishes termly fees for both the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years on one page. For 2026/27: Pre-Prep full day (8.00am–3.15pm) costs £4,500 per term, with morning-only or afternoon-only sessions at £2,850 per term and after-school care at £10 per session; Junior School (Reception to Year 2, from Prep 1 at age 4+) costs £4,500 per term plus VAT at 20%; Upper Transitus (age 7+, Years 3–6) costs £4,750 per term plus VAT; and Senior School (Years 7–13, from Ist Form at age 11+) costs £5,850 per term plus VAT (the 2025/26 rate was £5,800). The website notes that invoices from 1 January 2025 carry VAT at the current standard rate of 20%, and that school lunches have always been provided free of charge as a school tradition. Sibling discounts of 5%, 10% and 15% apply for the second, third and fourth children respectively. Fees are payable by or before the first day of term, the annual fee is a single sum divided into three equal termly parts, and the amount payable is based on the term invoice sent by the School Bursar.
One-off costs sit on top of tuition: the non-refundable registration fee is £180 (inclusive of VAT) for both prep and senior routes, and the non-refundable acceptance deposit is £600 (inclusive of VAT), with senior school applicants paying the £180 registration fee and the £600 deposit together. The school advises families not to send the deposit until they have received notification of acceptance. International students should expect the same published fee schedule; the main added costs are travel, homestay or guardianship arrangements and visa-related fees, which the website does not price.
Application Process and Key Dates
St John’s Prep and Senior Schooldoes not run open days; instead it offers individual tours during the school day by appointment, arranged through the registrar after registration. The process has four stages. Stage 1 is registration through the online form. Stage 2 is a visit: the registrar arranges an individual appointment during term time and the child’s name goes onto the entry list. Stage 3 is the entrance assessment: for the Prep School’s standard entry, families start with a personal tour and a meeting with the Principal, then pay the non-refundable £180 registration fee to move to formal assessment; for in-year admissions with a vacancy, the child is assessed first, then tours and meets the Principal, and the fee follows. The Senior School runs a cohort-based selection: all applicants sit the entrance test in October, and those meeting the academic standard are invited to interview with the Headmaster followed by a tour. Stage 4 is the offer: prep candidates secure their place with the £600 deposit, senior candidates with the £180 registration fee plus £600 deposit.
Sixth Form admissions follow a separate rhythm: the application opens in May, selection takes place in June, and the deadline is usually mid-September of the student’s UK Year 11. Applicants should be of high academic standard — ideally a minimum of 9 GCSEs at grades A–B or an overseas equivalent — and likely to contribute to school life in sport or the arts; shortlisted pupils are invited to St. John’s for an interview. For the 2026/27 academic year the published term dates are: autumn term begins 7–9 September 2026 (senior school staged starts, prep on 9 September), half term 26–30 October, term ends 11 December; spring term begins 4–5 January 2027, half term 15–19 February, ends 19 March; summer term begins 12–13 April, half term 31 May–4 June, ends 9 July.
Homestay and Student Life
International students at St John’s Prep and Senior Schoolwho join without their parents take part in the homestay boarding programme: the school’s experienced homestay staff work with host families in the surrounding area to create a home-from-home environment, and a programme of organised weekend events keeps boarders balanced — a practical point for families weighing a London day school against traditional boarding. Pastoral care is a stated priority: every student is assigned a personal tutor, an experienced school counsellor is available for specialist support, and Sixth Form students follow a PSHE curriculum alongside their studies. The campus offers quiet study spaces and a common room for Sixth Formers, and sports facilities include professional football pitches, an indoor sports hall and Astro pitches. The school’s approach suits academically strong students who adapt well to living with a host family and who want a genuinely local London school experience within a multinational peer group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is St John’s a boarding school? A: It is a day school that offers a homestay boarding experience for international students, who live with vetted host families rather than in school dormitories, with a weekend activities programme run by the homestay team.
Q: What English level is required for A Levels? A: The website says a strong IELTS score, normally 6.0 or above, is required, alongside the St. John’s International Entrance Test with subject tests and an interview with a Senior Leader.
Q: When should we apply for Sixth Form entry? A: Applications open in May, selection is in June and the deadline is usually mid-September of the UK Year 11 year; candidates ideally hold a minimum of 9 GCSEs at grades A–B or an overseas equivalent.
Q: Are international fees different from UK fees? A: The published termly tuition rates apply to all students. The separate costs international families typically meet are the £180 registration fee and £600 deposit, plus homestay, travel and visa-related expenses, which the website does not price.
Q: How do we visit the school? A: There are no open days. Individual tours are offered during the school day by appointment — families register first and the registrar arranges the visit.
St John’s Prep and Senior Schoolsuits academically ambitious international students who want a north London day-school education with strong A Level results, homestay living and careful university guidance. All figures here reflect the official website as of August 2026; re-check the latest version before applying. For advice tailored to your child’s age, English level and family situation, speak with our study advisers.