St John's Beaumont School

St John's Beaumont shares many features with the best of Christian and secular schools but, as a Jesuit school, stands in its own distinctive tradition.

Mission Statement

We pursue excellence in teaching and learning through the development and care of the whole child. We promote Christ as the model for life where students and teachers may grow in the discernment needed to live each day with courage and compassion.

History of the School

St John’s Beaumont is undergoing a transformational period in its history. The Governing Council recently announced that St John’s would be co-educational in the Pre-Prep from September 2023, with a view to moving progressively towards full co-education all the way through. The plans for St John’s Beaumont were drawn up by the famous Architect, J F Bentley, who later went on to design Westminster Cathedral. Unlike so many preparatory schools, it was purpose-built, originally for 60 boarders, and was opened in 1888. Its name is taken from St John Berchmans, a young Jesuit who was canonised in that year.    St John’s Beaumont was opened and operated as the junior school for the college called Beaumont College (where Beaumont House Hotel, part of the Principal Hayley Group, is now housed) until Beaumont College amalgamated with Stonyhurst College and moved north in 1967. 

The School is a member of IAPS (Independent Association of Preparatory Schools), ISIS (Independent Schools Information Service) and the CISC (Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference).

St John’s Beaumont is a Jesuit school. The Jesuits are one of the most famous religious orders within the Catholic Church. The School and property is owned by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and is governed by a Governing body made up of Jesuits, old pupils of the School, former parents and others who bring expertise to the running of a school in the twenty-first century. At present, St John’s Beaumont is served by the Jesuit Community at Farm Street in Mayfair.    The crest of the School is taken from the family of St Stanislaus Kostka who was canonised in 1726. The motto of the School Aeterna Non Caduca which comes from the Kostka crest, means Heavenly Matters Over Earthly Matters and is a call for us all to follow an exemplary life in the service of others.

Location and Facilities  The School is located in Old Windsor close to Windsor Great Park and is set in 70 acres of grounds, surrounded by fields. Although only 35 minutes from London the School offers an educational experience far removed from the constraints of central London.    The School enjoys excellent facilities, which includes:

• The Dermot Gogarty Sports Centre (built in 2009) which consists      of a fully equipped sports hall, fitness suite (available to staff each      evening), climbing wall, cricket nets.
• An indoor, heated 25m swimming pool
• 4 flood-lit all-weather tennis courts
• The Hoy Theatre
• Art Studio
• Music School
• A separate modern and well equipped Pre-Prep (the Nicholas Owen Block)
• A very well stocked, modern Library at the heart of the School
• State of the art ICT facilities with networked provision across the school and a dedicated ICT suite
• 50 acres of sports fields for rugby, football, athletics, cricket  and cricket nets.

The Boarding Houses

St John’s was built as a boarding school for 60 pupils and continues to have capacity for 60 pupils in the Boarding House. The senior dormitory is called ‘Southwell’ and the junior dormitory is called ‘Morse’.    Boarding at a Prep School should be a memorable and special experience, and this is certainly the case at St John’s where the boarders are an important part of life at St John’s. They are looked after by our Head of Boarding, Dormitory Master and a team of Matrons and Assistant Teachers.    Many of our boarders live either in the immediate local area or within 25 miles of St John’s, although we also have a number of pupils from overseas.  Around half of our boarders are full boarders.

Classes/Tutors The pastoral development of children up to Year 5 is promoted more successfully through a class teacher structure. It is important that pupils experience consistency and continuity in the relationships that they build with their teachers and the expectations set upon them. This is why at St John’s we maintain this essential element up to Year 5 where class teachers are responsible for teaching their classes for the majority of time. In addition to this teaching, pupils receive specialist teaching in Music, Sport, Art, Drama, French and some Humanities subjects.    For pupils in Years 6 to 8 the demands of the curriculum require that lessons are taught by staff who specialise in their chosen subject. Children are therefore supported pastorally through a personal tutor programme whereby pupils meet twice weekly with their tutors on a regular basis to offer pastoral support and guidance.

Curriculum  Early age children are taught by a range of teachers to support their ability to interact confidently with different adults.  Additional subject are introduced at important stages to offer breadth and stimulation to their learning.  It is important to recognise that children come to us with a range of abilities and talents and an important role of our curriculum is to recognise and support these talents.   The curriculum at St John’s Beaumont is designed to achieve a sound intellectual basis in the context of fostering all-round human excellence. Studies in a Jesuit School are in preparation for a life in which pupils will use their talents in the service of others. The design of our curriculum recognises the individual needs of children as learners: what motivates them and how they learn effectively. The Jesuit ideal of a “liberal education” is one that counts all spheres of human interest, study and endeavour as pathways to the discovery of a God who is alive and at work in Creation.   The curriculum is structured to ensure breadth, balance and coherence of studies.  Of particular interest and importance is the aspect of pupils’ motivation and we feel strongly that one of the most significant factors in motivating children is to ensure that their learning is relevant to the outside world and has a broad context that will assist them in consolidating their learning. The School aims to provide a stimulating and carefully structured environment for learning in which all children are given solid grounding in the important skills of literacy and numeracy and a stimulating and thought provoking Humanities curriculum (Geography and History), Sciences, the expressive Arts (Music, Art and Drama), Foreign Language, Physical Education and Games. Religious Education integrates all of these studies, giving a sense of purpose of value in the Jesuit tradition which seeks “to find God in all things”.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The extra-curricular programme at St John’s Beaumont is an essential part of the all-round education we provide to our pupils. After School care can be provided for the Nicholas Owen Block children.  The importance of this programme is emphasised by the fact that it is an optional element that can be pursued outside of the normal school day and curriculum.  By allowing pupils to make their own choices we can encourage them to pursue interests in which they excel, as well as those that interest them.  However, it is through encouraging the pupils to choose activities that might initially present a particular challenge that we can bring about the greatest change in their resilience and open-mindedness. The wide range of activities on offer for pupils of all ages are carefully chosen for their breadth and challenge. Every area of interest is represented, from the visual and expressive arts through to sport and science and there really is something for everyone! Current Activities include: Tennis, Football , Gymnastics, Judo, Art, Choir, Orchestra, Lego, Self Defence, Puzzle Club, Jolf (Junior Golf), Mandarin, Construction Club, Ball Skills, Board Games, Kick Boxing, Current Affairs, Chess, Junior Choir, Computer Coding, Practical Science, Bug Club, Ultimate Frisbee, Cycling, Weight Training, Cricket, Polo, Board Games, Drama, Debating, Aerobic Training, English Club, Practical Science, Water Polo, Fencing, Rowing, Maths Scholars, Skiing, Cricket Nets, Classical Civilisation.

Ethos

Staff are expected to play a full and active role in the pastoral and spiritual life of the school. Whilst staff and children from all religions are positively welcomed at St John’s, the strength of the school is drawn from the fact that it offers a strong and consistent Christian message which is supported by staff, who in turn act as excellent role models for our pupils.   Alongside our religious ethos, the school aims to offer the highest standard of education that understands and meets fully the emotional, physical and educational needs of children. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their teaching practices and in doing so to teach lessons that show a clear grasp of how children learn and as importantly, how they are motivated successfully.

Child Protection Policy

St John’s is committed to the safeguarding of children in its care and candidates who wish to apply for a post at the School you must be prepared to undertake investigation by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The Governing Council and Staff of St John’s Beaumont School take seriously their responsibility under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of Children; and to work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within the School to identify, assess, and support those Children who are suffering harm.  We recognise that all adults, including temporary Staff, volunteers and governors, have a full and active part to play in protecting our pupils from harm, and that the Child’s welfare is our paramount concern.