St. John's College

St John’s College is a world-class Christian African school founded in 1898. The school accepts boys from Grade 0 to Grade 12 into the Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory and the College, and accepts boys and girls in The Bridge Nursery School and Sixth Form.

Council is the Board of Governors of St John’s College. Council members are representative of the key constituencies within the school, including the Anglican Church, staff, Old Johannians, parents and students, and consist of nominated and co-opted members with a range of skills needed to fulfil Council’s mandate. St John’s College boasts world-class academic, sporting and cultural facilities.

The Pre-Preparatory School offers a creative and stimulating learning environment which encourages development of the individual child. We aim to equip each boy with the cognitive, physical, emotional and social skills necessary for a happy and confident start to their school careers trusting that they may become accomplished, successful, lifelong learners. The boys encounter the world with awe and anticipation and a sense of reverence for knowledge. Respect for others and the environment is fostered.

The boys are guided towards a tolerance of time and a quietness in which careful consideration is encouraged. It is an exciting space not closely connected to correctness but rather connected to thoughtfulness. Sharing of ideas and cooperation promotes a culture of understanding and appreciation where all thoughts are valued, all encounters seen as opportunities to learn.

The Preparatory School accommodates pupils from Grade 3 to Grade 7 and sets a strong foundation ahead of their final school years at the College. Pupils are exposed to a strong academic, cultural and sports programme that provides a space for each individual to develop their unique potential.

The Prep School aims to develop a lifelong desire to learn and explore in our pupils. This is encouraged through the teaching of exciting lessons, setting challenging projects and extending the learning experience through trips and tours to exhibitions, plays and places of interest. With traditional Christian values as the foundation of all learning and teaching, pupils leave the Prep School with a strong sense of discipline, autonomy and social responsibility.

The school offers an enviable range of activities, and an unwavering commitment to excellence in the classroom, culturally and on the sports field. At St John’s it is admirable to achieve academically, and the boys who are brilliant musicians and debaters are fêted and celebrated as much as the outstanding sportsmen. We aim to produce young men and women who are inquiring, enthusiastic, tolerant and resilient; young individuals who know the difference between right and wrong and who have the courage to stand up for that in which they believe.

St John’s is proud of its heritage, culture and achievements, but we cannot become a “ghetto of privilege”. It is important that we play a key role in our immediate community, and that we offer support to those who are less fortunate than us. The St John’s College Academy and Prep Academy provides an afternoon enrichment programme to boys from our immediate surrounds of Yeoville, Berea and Hillbrow, in the key subject areas of English, Maths and Physical Science. Our Centenary Scholarship programme offers scholarships to talented young black South Africans who are unable to afford our fees, and we cultivate future generations of teachers via the Realema Teacher Intern Programme.

Our physical situation on the edge of Johannesburg’s inner city emphasises our obligation to impact positively on the environment. Exciting initiatives are afoot to “retake” The Wilds by establishing outdoor education programmes and community initiatives in this beautiful, but neglected, part of Johannesburg.