St Johns International School

[exemove]

We are considering a move from Bristol to the Devon area. We really like the look of St Johns International School in Sidmouth - the international, alternative feel. Worried about turnover of kids and staff though.

Does anyone have any experience with the school? Our son will start Y3.

Any advice much appreciated!!

[Ktbuckland]

Hi there,

My son attended St John's until Year 7 and my daughter is currently in Year 3 there. I cannot recommend it highly enough. My son was extremely happy throughout his time there and my daughter is thriving, despite being miserable in her last school. St John's is warm and welcoming with a great community feel, both local and internationally with strong links with schools in other countries. There is hardly a half term without either international visitors or St John's children travelling overseas, which enriches their learning experiences enormously. I'd recommend a taster day so your son can experience the school for himself and if he's happy take it from there!

[exemove]

Thanks so much Ktbuckland - super helpful. Can I ask did your son move to another independent school at Y7?

[Ktbuckland]

At the time St John's only went up to year 9 so Joseph went to Sidmouth College which is the local state secondary school as they have a great Youth Theatre and this was something he was interested in. Now St John's senior school has expanded so there is the opportunity to stay there right through the secondary years. A lot of students go to Exeter School for Independent secondary level. It's a great school and well worth considering. There is also St Peters and St Wilfred's which are smaller but still have very good reputations. The other option is to sit the 11 plus for Colyton Grammer. It's very competitive so they need to be very capable academically.
The great thing about St John's is that all the away sports matches give you the opportunity to visit these schools and see for yourselves before making decisions as to which ones to visit more formally. It's great to get a sneaky peek and a feel for them so early in your child's education!
St John's secondary school is growing yearly so by the time our ones reach that age it will hopefully be a strong contender.

[Peonypetal]

If anyone is still reading this thread, why not look at lovely St Peter's Prep at Lympstone? Their curriculum is innovative , with an in-house baccalaureate much in demand from other prep schools nationally. Their ISIS report is amazing , and their website makes it clear how child-centred and nurturing their approach is. Children move on to all the good senior schools, often with scholarships.

[JJoss]

@exemoveexemove can I ask if you went ahead with St John's we are also considering it now but I can't find much information outside of the website.
Thanks