We are writing jointly to share some positive news about our continued relationship between St John’s, Northwood and Merchant Taylors’ School.
From the next admissions cycle, pupils at St John’s who wish to apply for entry to Merchant Taylors’ School at 11+ will be able to sit the Merchant Taylors’ entrance assessments at St John’s. This arrangement will apply to boys sitting their entrance tests in the coming year, for entry to Merchant Taylors’ School in September 2027, and for subsequent years.
For boys at St John’s who are academically well suited and successful in the entrance assessments, this pathway offers them the opportunity to continue their educational journey locally within the Merchant Taylors’ family, combining continuity of values with the breadth of opportunity offered by a large, academically ambitious senior school.
We know that sitting the entrance examinations in a familiar environment will provide reassurance for boys and families alike, allowing candidates to perform at their best while maintaining the rigour and integrity of Merchant Taylors’ admissions process.
In addition, we are working together to deliver a number of bespoke opportunities for older St John’s boys to become more familiar with Merchant Taylors’ and to gain a sense of the full breadth of school life, including a taste of senior school learning and the wider co-curricular offer. St John’s parents, too, should have the chance to informally meet some of the Admissions team, and other staff from Merchant Taylors’.
These developments reflect the close and longstanding relationship between our two schools and reinforces our shared commitment to putting pupils first. As a leading local senior school for many St John’s families, Merchant Taylors’ has long been a natural next step, and both schools are proud to belong to the wider Merchant Taylors’ family. We are united by a shared ethos and approach to educational excellence: high academic expectations, outstanding pastoral care, and a belief in nurturing the individual strengths, interests and character of each boy.
We very much look forward to continuing to work closely together and to welcoming many St John’s boys to Merchant Taylors’ School in the years ahead.
With best wishes,
Tom Jenkin Head Master St John’s, Northwood
Simon Everson Head Master Merchant Taylors’ School