Key Facts
| School type | Independent day school with pre-prep, prep, senior school and sixth form, plus homestay for international sixth formers |
|---|---|
| Location | Potters Bar, Hertfordshire (prep school) and Enfield, Middlesex (senior school) |
| Entry points | 7+, 11+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Entrance examination sat in October by all senior school applicants; subjects and length are not published |
| Test provider | The school's own entrance examination; no external test provider is named on the pages read |
| Day fees (2026/27) | Senior School (Years 7 to 13): £5,850 per term plus VAT at 20% |
| Scholarships and bursaries | No scholarships or bursaries published; sibling discounts of 5%, 10% and 15% |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 39.54 (average grade B) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
You get into St John's Preparatory and Senior School admissions by registering online, visiting by appointment, sitting the entrance examination in October and, once you reach the required academic standard, meeting the Headmaster. That sequence applies to the senior school at 11+, whilst the prep school at 7+ uses a meeting with the Principal and a formal assessment, and the sixth form at 16+ selects on GCSE results and interview.
With a prep school in Potters Bar and a senior school in Enfield, St John's publishes the order of its stages but not the content of its papers, so the guidance below keeps to what its own pages state and points you to the admissions office for the rest.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 | Prep school standard entry: a personal tour and a meeting with the Principal, then a formal assessment once the registration fee is paid; in-year places are assessed first | Meeting with the Principal | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Entrance examination sat in October by all senior school applicants; subjects and length are not published | Interview with the Headmaster and a guided tour for candidates who reach the required academic standard | Not published |
| 16+ | Year 12 | Ideally at least 9 GCSEs at Grade A-B or an overseas equivalent; international applicants also sit the school's International Entrance Test | Shortlisted applicants are invited for an interview | Up to 30 students join each year |
Entry points and places
St John's takes pupils into the prep school through standard entry or in-year admissions, into the senior school at Year 7 (11+), and into the sixth form at 16+. Upper prep forms are labelled by age on the fees page, with Upper Transitus as 7+, F.1 as 8+, F.2 as 9+ and F.3 as 10+, whilst the senior school begins with the Ist Forms at 11+.
Places or forms of entry are not published for the prep or senior school. Only the sixth form gives a figure, admitting up to 30 students each year, and international students at that stage board through a homestay arrangement with host families.
How the 11+ assessment works
Every senior school applicant sits the school's entrance examination in October. No test provider, subject list, length or question types appear on the pages read, so treat the examination as the school's own and confirm its content with the admissions office.
Reaching the required academic standard in that examination is the condition for the next stage, an interview with the Headmaster followed by a guided tour of the facilities. Year 7 has no sets and maths setting begins in Year 9, according to the senior school, which suggests the intake is taught in mixed-ability groups at first.
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Master TutorI am a qualified teacher with over twenty years' experience in the UK, Gulf and New Zealand, holding an MA in History and PGCE. I teach English, History, Geography and French from KS2 to A-Level and IB, preparing 11+/13+ candidates. My approach is student-led, focused and diagnostic.
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Admission follows four stages that start with an online registration form and end with an offer and a deposit. No registration deadline appears on the pages read, and there are no open days, so the registrar arranges individual visits during the school day. Submitting the form means accepting the school's Standard Terms and Conditions and its Declaration, and the Admissions Department can help with form problems.
- Register: complete the online registration form, after which the registrar contacts you once it is processed.
- Visit: attend an appointment arranged by the registrar in term time, after which your child is placed on the entry list as a candidate.
- Assess: for the senior school, sit the October entrance examination; for the prep school, pay the non-refundable registration fee after the tour and meeting with the Principal to proceed to formal assessment.
- Offer: successful senior candidates pay a non-refundable registration fee and a non-refundable acceptance deposit, and prep candidates pay the deposit; the school asks you not to send the payment until you have received notification of acceptance.
Interviews and visits
Senior school candidates who meet the academic standard are interviewed by the Headmaster, and prep school families meet the Principal. At the prep school the meeting comes before the formal assessment for standard entry, whilst for in-year admissions the child is assessed first if a place is available and the tour and meeting follow a successful result.
Reports or references from the current school are not mentioned for the prep or senior school on the pages read. Sixth form applicants are different, as shortlisted pupils are invited in for an interview and international applicants also supply an academic report from their country of origin.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are not described on the admissions, fees or sixth form pages, which list no academic, music, sport or all-rounder awards and no means-tested bursaries. Nothing is published about who could apply or what share of fees might be covered, so a family who needs financial support should ask the admissions office directly before registering.
Sibling discounts are the one reduction set out on the fees page: 5 per cent for a second child, 10 per cent for a third and 15 per cent for a fourth.
Fees and what they include
Fees are published per term for each section on the school's fees page, and the amount shown for a year group is charged for each of the three terms. Junior school, Upper Transitus and senior school fees carry VAT at 20 per cent, and the pre-prep is offered as full days, five mornings or five afternoons.
School lunches are provided free of charge, and after-school care is charged per session on Monday to Thursday for the youngest pupils. Before each term the Bursar sends an invoice, fees are due by the first day of term, and the school states that fees may change, so the invoice is the figure to rely on.
Where pupils join from
Senior school pupils join from the school's own prep school and from a variety of other independent and maintained primary schools. Within the prep school, Year 6 (Form 3) pupils attend transition classes in English, maths and science taught by senior school teachers, so those moving up already know the senior setting.
Prep pupils are tested at the end of each module and formally twice a year, in November and June, with reports sent after these standardised tests. No partner or feeder schools are named on the pages read, and nothing says whether prep pupils sit the same October examination.
Sixth form entry (16+)
Applicants to the sixth form need a high academic standard, ideally with at least nine GCSEs at Grade A-B or an overseas equivalent, and the school also looks for pupils likely to contribute to school life, for example in sport or the arts. Up to 30 students join each year.
Applications open in May and selection takes place in June, with a deadline usually in mid-September when the pupil is in Year 11. Shortlisted pupils are invited to interview. International applicants sit the St. John's International Entrance Test, which includes subject tests based on their chosen A Level subjects, normally need an IELTS score of 6.0 or above, and are interviewed by a senior leader.
How to prepare
Preparation for the senior school centres on the October examination and the Headmaster interview, and because the school does not publish the papers, the most useful work is secure English and maths alongside a general readiness to talk about school and interests with an adult. Pupils in the prep school meet senior-level English, maths and science in the transition classes, which gives them practice with that style of teaching.
Ask the registrar, when you visit, which subjects the examination covers and how long it lasts, then plan around the answer. For the sixth form, steady GCSE progress towards the Grade A-B range and a clear idea of your A Level choices are the points the published process rewards.
Related guides
- Best private schools in the UK and London by A level results
- Independent school fees compared
- The 11+ entrance exam explained
- The 7+ entrance exam explained
- 11+ and 13+ scholarship exams explained
- What is a bursary? Private school bursaries explained
Preparing for the St John's Preparatory and Senior School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the St John's Preparatory and Senior School 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
The tutors we match to 11+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the St John's Preparatory and Senior School entrance exam?
- All senior school applicants sit the entrance examination in October. Candidates who meet the required academic standard are then invited to an interview with the Headmaster and a guided tour. The school's pages do not list the subjects, length or test provider, so the registrar is the person to ask about content.
- How can a family register for St John's?
- Complete the online registration form, after which the registrar contacts you and arranges a visit in term time. Your child is then placed on the entry list as a candidate. Submitting the form means accepting the school's Standard Terms and Conditions and its Declaration. The school holds no open days.
- What are the St John's school fees?
- Fees are published per term for each section on the school's fees page, with junior, Upper Transitus and senior school fees carrying VAT at 20 per cent. School lunches are free, and sibling discounts are 5, 10 and 15 per cent for the second, third and fourth child. Fees may change, so rely on the termly invoice.
- Does St John's offer scholarships or bursaries?
- Scholarships and means-tested bursaries are not mentioned on the admissions, fees or sixth form pages. The only reduction published is the sibling discount of 5 per cent for a second child, 10 per cent for a third and 15 per cent for a fourth. Ask the admissions office about any other support.
- What do you need to join the St John's sixth form?
- Applicants need a high academic standard, ideally at least nine GCSEs at Grade A-B or an overseas equivalent, and up to 30 students join each year. Applications open in May, selection is in June, the deadline is usually mid-September, and shortlisted pupils are interviewed.
- Is there a catchment area for St John's?
- No catchment area is described on the pages read. Senior school pupils join from the school's own prep school and from a variety of other independent and maintained primary schools, so admission rests on registration, the entrance examination and the interview.
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