Destination Schools
At St John’s, we believe that choosing the right senior school is a deeply personal journey — one that deserves thoughtful guidance and individual care. We do not follow a predetermined pathway; instead, we work in close partnership with parents to identify the school that will best nurture each child’s strengths, passions, and aspirations.
Our Head maintains strong, active relationships with a wide range of senior schools, regularly visiting and engaging with their leadership to stay attuned to their evolving ethos and opportunities. She is readily available to parents for bespoke consultations, offering expert insight and honest advice to support informed, confident decision-making.
This tailored approach ensures that every child moves forward not only to the right destination, but with a sense of purpose and pride in their next chapter.
While the exact number varies from year, more than half of the children will proceed to day schools in the Cambridge area. In Cambridge, this includes The Perse Upper School, The Leys, St Mary’s and Stephen Perse Foundation, for some parents, Kimbolton, King’s Ely, Oundle, Haileybury, St Christopher School Letchworth, Culford, Bedford or Felsted may be within reach as day schools. The range of boarding schools to which children proceed is wide and includes co-educational and single sex schools. The schools to which children are most likely to proceed as boarders include: Bedford, Chetham's School of Music, Eton, King’s Canterbury, Gresham's, Harrow, Oakham, Oundle, Radley, Rugby, Stowe, Uppingham, Winchester.
Other schools to which children have proceeded in recent years include: Ampleforth, Benenden, Bishop's Stortford College, Framlingham, Hereford Cathedral School, Marlborough, Millfield, Sevenoaks, St Edward’s Oxford, St Mary’s Ascot, Wycombe Abbey.
Awards & Scholarships
A small number of children proceed to boarding schools via the Common Entrance examination, in which the school has long had an unblemished record. Every year, a number of children proceed to boarding schools via academic Scholarship examinations. The local independent schools set their own competitive examinations, in which St John’s pupils likewise have a distinguished record, gaining academic awards every year through the schools’ entrance exams.
Over the past three years, 167 leavers have secured an impressive 58 Scholarship awards to senior schools — a testament to the breadth and depth of talent nurtured here. In 2025 alone, our Form 6 were awarded 31 Scholarships to destination schools.
Alongside academic Scholarships, our pupils regularly achieve recognition in Art, Dance, DET, Drama, Music, Sport, and All-Rounder categories, reflecting the richness of our curriculum and the individuality of each child.
While we are proud of this outstanding record, our deepest pride lies in something more fundamental: every child reaching their chosen destination with confidence, curiosity, and a sense of purpose. These awards are not the aim, but rather the joyful consequence of an education that prioritises personal growth, intellectual adventure, and emotional wellbeing.
