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St James Senior Boys' School A GSG School

What says..

An excellent fit for boy who might be considered eccentric or unconventional elsewhere or who just wants a gentler, kinder and deeper approach to education – all with a strong academic end point. Quiet time and meditation all par for the course, kicking off every morning and afternoon, as well as book-ending each lesson. Sport for all, no excuses. Lots of it too – three times a week. But you don’t have to be brilliant: ‘My son has never been a first team player in any major sport but St James handles that very well.’ Nor is it…

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What the school says...

St James Senior Boys School in Ashford, Surrey, offers a distinctive education, uniting a philosophical approach to the development of life-skills with academic excellence. The approach aims to unfold the twin powers of love and reason so that a boy may grow into a man who knows what he thinks, does what he says and is a friend to all. The school selects boys on the basis of the interview with the Headmaster; the exam results are considered to give only a partial picture of the candidate's suitability - character, interests and ability to speak about them, thoughtfulness, curiosity, brightness and cheerfulness are strong pointers. ...Read more

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Sports

Rowing

Fencing

Sailing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since September 2024, Rick Clarke, previously head of Frensham Heights in Surrey. His teaching career has included posts at Cheltenham College, Brighton College, Wellington College and Warminster School, where he was deputy head. He recently enjoyed a brief spell back in frontline teaching at Kingswood School in Bath before his move to St James.

Entrance

Sixty places up for grabs in year 7 – around 10 are taken from those moving up from the junior school; the rest from an even split across primaries and preps (about 35 in total). Competitive, with approximately 160 applications in total. Academically selective-ish – ‘we are after students with an IQ of 100 and above.’ Tests in English, maths and verbal reasoning, plus interview with the head, who looks for ‘spark and spirit – the kind of boy who wants...

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Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

Special Education Needs

St James provides a special educational support programme where necessary. Tutorial sessions and in-class support may be arranged. Close communication between deputy headmaster, form master, SENCo and parents is required for this; arrangements will be co-ordinated thereafter. We provide a baseline level of care after which we ask parents for a contribution towards additional learning support costs. The headmaster, parents and SENCo will discuss fees for these additional arrangements.

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder
Y
HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP)
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Y
VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment

Who came from where

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