St John's College Cardiff

• Location: Old St. Mellons, Cardiff,
• Founded in: 1930,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of studying: mixed.

• Location: Cardiff, Wales,
• Age: 3–18 years,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type: mixed day school,
• Programs: GCSE, A-Level.

St John's College Cardiff is an independent day school with a Catholic bias, accepting children from the age of three. Pupils can continue their education here until age 18.

The Catholic orientation does not affect the process of admission of students: representatives of all religions and atheists are welcome at the school.

St John's Cardiff won the award in 2022 as the best independent school in Wales based on the academic results of its students, for 20 years in a row it has been among the top schools in Wales according to the results of A-level exams.

The school has welcomed applications from foreign students for the past 20 years.

Year groups with an R designation are named for the age pupils will reach during the academic year. In many disciplines, children choose activities for lessons and homework and develop skills in assessing their own work. Homework is assigned daily. By age 14, each pupil has chosen an individual GCSE preparation program, a year earlier than at most schools.

Nursery and Infant children take part in outdoor Forest School sessions, discussing their observations and discoveries while sitting in a log circle among the trees on the school grounds. Specialist music lessons begin in Nursery: children sing, explore instruments and gain performance experience. The school helps pupils prepare for youth orchestras, competitions and public performances.

Sport is part of the timetable at every age level. Pupils are assessed using the school's own Hand, Head, Heart model, which considers sporting skills, teamwork and wellbeing. In STEM Racing, teams design, manufacture, test and race miniature CO₂-powered cars. The project combines engineering design, computer-aided design and manufacturing, aerodynamics, project management, branding, finding sponsors, marketing and communication.

Sixth Form students receive careers advice and individual guidance on university admission through UCAS. The school also has a dedicated Health and Wellbeing Officer.

The school uses its own year group designations. Their equivalents in the state education system are:

• R8 — Year 3,
• R12 — Year 7.

R12 and R13 are the first two years of Senior School. The curriculum for these years offers science, technology, economics, European languages, Welsh language and culture, the arts and social sciences.

The school offers GCSE and A-Level programs.

In 2018, the school was named Welsh Independent School of the Year. It received a 'Very good' rating in the Telegraph Best Value Private Schools in the UK 2026 selection, based on the ratio of tuition to exam results. It also received recognition in the 2025 selection. The school was commended in the Performing Arts category of the Independent Schools of the Year Awards.

The school's engineering teams have achieved success in the international F1 in Schools competition. In 2019, Infinity Racing qualified for the World Finals in Abu Dhabi. At the 2021 National Finals, Blackout set the UK record for the fastest car in the competition's history, with a time of 1.036 seconds, and in 2022 the team finished second in the World Finals at Silverstone.

In 2026, Silver Racing became Professional Class Regional Champions in South Wales, finished third at the UK National Finals in Sheffield, became Welsh Champions and secured a place at the STEM Racing World Finals in Singapore. At the regional finals that year, Stealth finished second and recorded the fastest car, while Aetherion became Development Class Regional Champions.

The cathedral choir has participated in broadcasts for BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Four, performed with The Tallis Scholars and sung at Notre Dame, Paris. The choir also performed Mahler’s Third Symphony with the Prague and Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestras. Over 60% of LAMDA grades were awarded at distinction level.

St John's College Cardiff was founded on the basis of the former De La Salle Preparatory School for Boys.

The Founding Headmaster was Dr David Neville. In 1995, the school moved to William Nicholls House, a Grade II listed building. The A-Level program was introduced in 1996.

St John's College Cardiff has been working with a guardianship provider for many years, which is dedicated to finding host families and accommodation for international students. Together with the school staff, specialists select good temporary guardians for children from other countries. Many foreign students live with homestay families near the school.

CleverChefs is responsible for catering on the territory: chefs prepare high-quality, healthy and tasty meals for children and staff every day, which help maintain a balanced diet that includes all the necessary vitamins and elements.

All students of St John's College Cardiff are divided into 4 faculties, which are named after local famous personalities: Bute, De La Salle, Mostyn and St David's. In their free time, the members of the associations hold joint events, compete in team relay races and simply exchange opinions and stories. For active participation in extracurricular life and winning competitions, children receive additional points in their academic transcript.

Other extracurricular formats include sections and circles - among the most popular:

• Music lessons,
• Athletics
• Master classes in theatrical art.

• Small class sizes - up to 16 students on average - allow teachers to work personally with each of the children. The teaching staff treat their wards as individuals who have their own opinions and interests, they are respected and appreciated.
• Academic achievement at St John's College Cardiff is important but is not considered the only goal that students have. Children and teenagers from all over the world gain independence here, learn to think critically, develop in science, sports, and creativity. Extracurricular activities help students find themselves and their calling in life.
• Children are under the watchful eye of employees every day, from morning to 6 pm.
• The administration takes care of the psychological state of its students and their parents, so during the academic year it conducts thematic seminars, conversations with children and adults, group and personal consultations.

The infrastructure of St John's College Cardiff includes:

• Gym,
• Scientific laboratories,
• Dining room,
• Creative workshops,
• Modern classrooms.

High school students have additional access to such premises as:

• High-tech classrooms,
• Common lounge with tea and coffee,
• Educational coworking spaces with high-speed Wi-Fi,
• Restaurant on the territory of a partner hotel.

In addition, graduating students can get a free subscription to the off-campus gym.

The sports hall, laboratories, dining room, design technology suite and junior classrooms were built in 2002. The Atrium was built in 2012, and the Sixth Form Centre at Eastern Business Park opened in 2018. The school has separate sports fields a short drive from the main campus. A pavilion was built there in 2019.

Pupils have access to computer suites and class sets of iPads and Chromebooks. The school provides Wi-Fi, interactive whiteboards in many classrooms and access to online educational resources.

External sports facilities regularly used for activities include NIAC, Cardiff Met, Eastern Swimming Pool, Boulders Rock Climbing Centre, The Geraint Thomas Velodrome Newport, Somersault Gym and Cardiff International White Water Sports. Several school bus services operate throughout South Wales.

The academic year has three terms.

A sports supplement applies to pupils from R5 to Sixth Form. Pupils entering R8 or above make a one-time payment for laboratory and computer supplies.

Additional costs may include:

• School bus,
• Extracurricular electives,
• Housing, food,
• Consumables for the laboratory,
• Uniform.  

The school published the following results for the 2026 exams:

• GCSE: 62% of grades were A*, 85% were A* or A, and 95% were A*–B,
• A-Level: 31% of grades were A*, 73% were A* or A, and 88% were A*–B,
• 12% of pupils achieved straight A* grades at A-Level.

To enter St John's College Cardiff with homestay accommodation, a foreign student must be at least 14 years old. Foreign students need a student visa to attend.

Attainment tests are used during admission to assess a pupil's potential progress and whether their abilities match the school curriculum. Selection takes account of the candidate's academic potential and social awareness.

Pupils and parents are expected to support the school ethos, participate fully in school life and adhere to codes of conduct and appearance.

Entry into Year 10 and Year 11 is usually discouraged because GCSE courses differ between schools. Each application is considered individually.

The administration selects several students each year to pay a limited number of scholarships. For example, for teenagers who study at the R12 and R14 levels, an academic scholarship of 5% of the fee for the academic year is provided. Three academic scholarships are available annually for these year groups.

Children from R11 and R13 can participate in the competition for a scholarship. Pupils in R11 take exams in mathematics and English. Those in R13 take mathematics, English and science.

Each year, the school offers a limited number of bursaries based on the financial circumstances of parents or guardians.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision