Dean Close St. John’s
Dean Close St. John's
A successful, autonomous, coed day and boarding school is Dean Close St. John's. It is a diverse school that upholds Christian principles.
It is situated in a special location, adjacent to the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean, nestled on the border between England and Wales, with school buses serving the nearby cities of Bristol (25 minutes), Cardiff (42 minutes), Newport (30 minutes), and Monmouth (35 minutes).
Programs
The best start is given to your kid by Dean Close St. John's Pre-Prep in terms of their academic, social, and personal development. The Pre-Prep staff as a whole is committed to helping your child adjust to school life and take an immediate interest in learning. Every staff member is familiar with each student on an individual basis, which allows the students the courage to attempt new things and take risks, both of which are crucial for promoting child development.
All wraparound care is included in the fees as part of the school day. In addition to the possibility for your kid to stay after classes end at 3:30 pm and participate in a variety of clubs and activities until 6:00 pm, this also includes drop-off and breakfast at 8:00 am.
A lot of attention is paid to inquiry-based learning in the Pre-Prep. Small class sizes at Dean Close St. John's ensure that each child receives individualized attention and care as they create their own unique path of discovery. Dean Close St. John's provides exceptional customized instruction, ensuring that each child is encouraged and supported throughout their unique educational journey.
In addition to engaging subject work and child-initiated play in their designated play areas and playground, the children in Reception get regular instruction in math and literacy. Students also take weekly swimming, physical education, and French classes. The topic-based curriculum offers a variety of educational opportunities designed to foster and encourage your child's growth and interests. Because of the large teacher-to-student ratio, every kid can grow and learn at their own rate. Dean Close St. John's promotes development by recognizing accomplishments with diplomas and quick, constructive feedback.
The Prep School's devoted specialty teachers teach French, music, and physical education, giving the kids a head start on learning about and honing their talents in these topics. Each classroom has an integrated outdoor space that provides the kids with an additional learning opportunity, extending the teaching outside. The adventure playground, forest school, and nature garden all promote activity and exploration of the fascinating world outside. Educational excursions include visits to working farms, zoos, forests, museums, libraries, and other tourist attractions. These excursions enhance and extend the academic curriculum.
With engaging topic-based teaching techniques, Dean Close St. John's broad, balanced, and lively curriculum inspires a love of learning in the pupils. Along with weekly swimming and French classes, physical education, games, and music, kids enjoy exploring a variety of themes that help them improve their literacy and numeracy abilities. Dean Close St. John's follows the fundamental structure of the Key Stage One National Curriculum as a guideline to make sure that all areas of learning are being developed.
The older students study towards the Pre Senior Baccalaureate because Dean Close St. John's wishes to make sure that they leave the school not just loving their time there, but well prepared for the next stage of their education (PSB) and for life after school. Every student at Dean Close St. John's has the opportunity to succeed thanks to the PSB's utilization of its expertise and ethos throughout the school.
The PSB is a two-year program that enables instructors to create curricula that will interest, engage, and challenge every student at Dean Close St. John's—from top performers to those who require assistance to reach their full learning potential. This implies that instructors can encourage a love of learning rather than press students to memorize knowledge in preparation for a test; Dean Close St John's looks at students' overall learning progress. The PSB is a framework that includes core skills, subject knowledge, and subject skills. These help students become better learners.Future employers will increasingly value abilities like teamwork, leadership, communication, independence, thinking, and learning, therefore Dean Close St. John's cultivates these talents in its students.
A genuine high point of the course is the Pre-Senior Project Qualification (PSPQ), which students choose on their own. They relish the chance to delve further into an existing passion or discover a brand-new one. Students at Dean Close St. John's not only loves completing their PSPQs, but they also gain independence, task management, and research skills that will help them succeed in senior school.
One of the best things about the PSB is that it allows us to recognize each child's unique capabilities. In addition to recognizing students' academic prowess, Dean Close St. John's also includes all of the topics that kids study, such as languages, art, sport, music, and theater, in the PSB. It also enables us to highlight a child's extracurricular accomplishments, such as leading the rugby team, participating in the eco warriors, or acting in a play. In Year 8, when students receive their PSB certificate, it is truly a celebration of the whole kid and everything they have accomplished.
School Life
Children have plenty of opportunities to develop responsibility, independence, and leadership abilities at Dean Close St. John's thanks to the excellent variety of extracurricular activities offered. Children are taught self-respect and respect for others through extracurricular activities, which reinforces St. John's in their hearts for the rest of their lives.
At Dean Close St. John's, the range of offerings in the co-curriculum means that music, sport, and drama all play a significant role in the children's life. Outside of the classroom, the students have access to a wide range of clubs and activities.
Riders in the Dean Close Foundation's thriving and effective equestrian program range in age from three to thirteen. At the NSEA Grass Roots, National, and International levels, riders from all of the Foundation schools are eligible to compete. The school is pleased to be able to provide current and prospective students with access to this broad program, weekly riding instruction, and riding for the Foundation.
Riders at Dean Close St. John's can take beginning, intermediate, or advanced instruction. These are taught by British Horse Society-certified instructors at Tumpy Green Equestrian. Lessons are offered from third through eighth grades. Weekly lessons are provided to students, allowing them to gain knowledge and improve their skills while spending time outside with ponies and horses.
The Foundation actively encourages and supports horse owners who want to compete in their preferred sports. It is decided on individual training plans and competition schedules. Currently, there is a squad training program in place that brings senior and prep teams from around the Foundation together to work with knowledgeable and accomplished trainers. The Foundation teams have had remarkable success at the national level, but the focus should always be on the students participating in their tournaments and thriving in the curriculum. Riders with extraordinary talent can now apply for stand-alone equestrian scholarships at the 11+, 13+, and 16+ age levels, thanks to the Dean Close Foundation.
Every year in June, Dean Close Equestrian hosts an Interschools show jumping competition that serves as a qualifier for the Rectory Farm-hosted NSEA National, Elite, and GrassRoots Championships. It is a wonderful opportunity for students and parents of the Foundation to enjoy everything equestrian, with schools and students traveling from far and wide.
Future Prospects
Many of the students have the good fortune to receive scholarships for high school. Dean Close has a strong legacy of both academic and athletic scholars. Some students have also been successful in receiving scholarships for music, art, or drama. The majority of the students go on to hold leadership positions at their selected senior school, which is noteworthy. Their education at Dean Close St. John's provides students with a solid foundation and leadership abilities that position them for success as they enter the outside world. Dean St. John's alumni are pioneers in the fields of medicine, ecology, politics, and television. Old St Johnians have re-rigged the Cutty Sark, worked in costume design, and produced Doctor Who scripts. One of the very few in the world is now a Master of Wine. Others work as Times journalists. There are vehicle restorers, racers, and engineers who have broken the land speed record. There are also Majors, barristers, and surgeons. They are all as unique and motivating as the students of today. The goal of Dean Close St. John's is to maintain contact with as many former students as possible. The past, present, and future are greatly influenced by the alumni. The Society was formed to make it possible for former students, faculty, and staff to stay in touch with one another and the School. This is accomplished by hosting social gatherings at the School for Old St. Johnians as well as by inviting people to gatherings the School hosts for the general public. The Society keeps its members informed of school happenings and offers discussion spaces for sharing memories. Additionally, there is a specific school archive that is managed by an archivist and is accessible to members.
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