The following information has been copied from the St. John's School, Singapore, Prospectus.
Issued, I believe in 1966.
History Buildings Numbers Organisation Curriculum School Hours Careers Sports Out of School Activities Welfare Fund Boarders Uniform Tuck Shop School Lunch Health
The teaching portion of St. John's School was officially opened by the Army Commander, Far East Land Forces, Lieutenant General Sir Alan Jolly, K.C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., on Saturday, 10th October, 1964, although the buildings had been in actual use since the beginning of term, Wednesday, 16th September, 1964.
The Boarding Houses came into use on Monday, 13th September, 1965. top
The school is air-conditioned throughout. It has seven science laboratories, three domestic science rooms, two art rooms and a small pottery room, two woodwork, one metalwork and three technical drawing rooms, a small Assembly hall, a large assembly hall, a library and twenty eight classrooms. top
As in all Service Schools, numbers fluctuate considerably. At present, January 1966, there are approximately 720 day pupils and 160 boarders attending St. John's School. These girls and boys are all in the fourth year or later of Secondary Education. In addition, there are about 140 second or third year boarders of Bourne School, Singapore, who are accommodated in St. John's School Boarding Houses.
There are 75 members of Staff. top
St. John's School is a Senior Comprehensive School organised on the House/Tutor Group system. There are 5 Day and 4 Boarding Houses. Belvoir, Chester, Hasting, Pevensey and Warwick, the day houses, are each divided into six tutor groups, a boys' group and a girls' group for each of the three years (4th, 5th and 6th). The tutor is responsible to the Housemaster or Housemistress for the overall progress of the individual members of the group, social as well as academic.
The organisation within the four boarding Houses (Deal and Rochester for girls, Dover and Richborough for boys) is slightly different but the Housemasters and Housemistresses carry the same academic responsibility for their pupils as the Day House Staff, in addition to the normal "living" responsibilities.
Queries, complaints, etc., about pupils, day and boarding, are normally dealt with in the first place by Housemistresses and Housemasters, and delays in replies would be reduced if these are addressed initially to the House Staff. top
Forms, in the old fashion sense of the word, do not exist in the school, and all teaching is in ability sets. In this way the school implements the Comprehensive concept of education - "To help every boy and girl to qualify himself or herself to the best of his or her ability in those subjects that are best suited to him or her, whether they be intellectual or practical."
The main public examinations taken at the school are the General Certificate of Education (University of London) at both Advanced and Ordinary Levels and Certificate of Secondary Education (Southern Regional Examinations Board). Candidates may be allowed to sit for other examinations if special circumstances warrant it (Careers, etc.,) but courses leading to these examinations are not normally provided.
The main courses provided in the school are Academic, Domestic, Commercial, Technical and General. In the fourth and fifth years the divisions between courses, except the General Course, are not hard and fast. Mathematics and English in the 4th year, for instance, are covered by 10 sets being taught simultaneously and pupils from all courses, except the General, take these subjects at the same time. A pupil from, say, the Technical Course, has the opportunity therefore to be in the top Mathematical Set of his year. French, History, Geography and Religious Knowledge are also on the same basis to all Courses.
In the General Course, more time has been allocated to the basis subjects of English and Mathematics, so that setting with pupils from other courses is not possible. Pupils in the higher sets in some subjects of the General Course are not precluded from entry to C.S.E. although they may well require an extra year to cover the syllabus.
There are several sets in each subject in the 4th and 5th year, some working on the G.C.E. syllabus and some on the C.S.E. syllabus. "Border-line" candidates are entered for C.S.E. rather than G.C.E. Candidates who fail in G.C.E. have nothing to show for their efforts; those who fail to reach Grade 1 in C.S.E. (widely accepted as equivalent to a G.C.E. pass by such bodies as Universities, Teacher Training Colleges, Civil Service Commission, etc.,) may obtain certificates with lower grades, which in themselves have a career value.
The following subjects are normally taught at St. John's School as indicated to Advanced (A), Ordinary (O), or C.S.E. (C) examinations:-
| ART | A | O | |
| BIOLOGY | A | O | C |
| CHEMISTRY | A | O | C |
| COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS | O | C | |
| DOMESTIC SUBJECTS | A | O | C |
| ECONOMICS | A | O | |
| ELEMENTARY SURVEYING | O | ||
| ENGLISH LANGUAGE | O | ||
| ENGLISH | C | ||
| ENGLISH LITERATURE | A | O | |
| FRENCH | A | O | C |
| GERMAN | A | O | C |
| GENERAL SCIENCE | O | C | |
| GEOLOGY | O | ||
| GEOGRAPHY | A | O | C |
| HANDICRAFT | A | O | C |
| HISTORY | A | O | C |
| HUMAN BIOLOGY | O | C | |
| LATIN | A | O | |
| MATHEMATICS | C | ||
| PURE MATHEMATICS | A | O | |
| ADDITIONAL MATHS | O | ||
| APPLIED MATHEMATICS | A | ||
| MUSIC | A | O | C |
| PHYSICS | A | O | C |
| PHYSICS WITH CHEMISTRY | O | C | |
| SPANISH | O | ||
| RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE | A | O | C |
| TECHNICAL DRAWING | A | O | C |
Pupils do not, of course, have an unlimited choice of subjects, since no timetable could allow it, but a wider choice is available than in most non-service schools to try and offset the disadvantages of frequent change of schools. top
MONDAY - FRIDAY - 8.30 a.m. - 3.15 p.m.
There is a lunch break from 12.15 to 1.30 p.m. There are eight periods of 35 minutes each day. The school does not open on Saturday. top
The Careers Staff at the school are always ready to give information and advice, and the latest books, pamphlets etc., are available. Every year Careers Advisory Officers from the United Kingdom visit the school and interviews for parents and pupils approaching or, indeed, past school-leaving age can be arranged. The specialist knowledge of the Careers Staff is frequently utilised in choosing optional subjects and courses for individual pupils.
The School is accepted by the University Central Council for Admissions and a number of girls and boys go straight to British Universities from St. John's School each year. Pupils have also been successful in gaining entry to Sandhurst, Welbeck, Colleges of Advanced Technology, the College of Air Training Hamble, and Medical and Dental Schools. top
The School has its own gymnasium, swimming bath, tennis courts and playing fields. There are school teams for Hockey (Boys and Girls), Rugby Football, Association Football, Cricket, Basketball and Cross Country Running, (Boys), Netball and Tennis (Girls) and swimming, Athletics, and Gymnastics (Girls and Boys). Inter-house competitions are organised for most of these sports. top
These are growing in number and include Choir, Drama, Photography, Sub-Aqua Club, Butterfly Collecting, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, Guitar Classes, Stamp Club, Gym Club, Film Group, Modern Dance Group, Badminton, and Chemistry Club. top
Day pupils are requested to contribute $1.00 per term to the School Welfare Fund for purchase of articles and equipment which cannot be bought through the usual school funds. This money should be paid to the tutor at the beginning of term. top
Every attempt is made to enable the Boarders to live a full life. They have liberal use of the sports facilities of the School, Dances or Cinema Shows are held on most Saturday nights, they attend churches of their own denomination on Sundays, and are taken to plays, concerts, etc., held in Singapore. Shopping leave into Singapore is a privilege granted on Saturday afternoons. Expeditions are arranged, if possible, for Boarders left at school on Public Holidays and over half-term. Fuller details are sent to all parents of pupils admitted to the School as Boarders. top
All pupils are required to wear school uniform.
Boys must wear a white shirt and khaki slacks or khaki shorts which must cover at least half the thighs. Socks must be white, fawn or grey. Black or brown shoes or strong sandals must be worn. If pullovers are worn, they should be khaki.
Girls must wear a plain white cotton shirt-style blouse with or without sleeves. Blouses with round or square necks, embroidery or broderie anglaise are not permissible. Green cotton skirts of regulation colour and style must be worn. Belts, if worn, must be made of skirt material and must not be more than 1½ inches wide. Socks, if worn, should be white. Shoes must have flat heels and can be white, brown or black. The wearing of "flip-flops" is forbidden. Cardigans should be white. No make-up is permitted, except that members of the 6th forms, House and School prefects are permitted to use lipstick, provided they do so with discretion. No jewellery except crucifixes and watches may be worn.
Girls in the 6th Forms are allowed to wear a dress of regulation colour and style instead of the skirt and blouse. top
There is a tuck shop that opens at break and during the Lunch Hour. It is also open at times during the week-ends for the Boarders. top
This is available daily (Monday to Friday) for Day Pupils. A daily cash charge is payable to the Catering Contractor. The price is about $1.20. top
There is a School Sanatorium, staffed by a State Registered Nurse, which operates during school hours. This is, however, only for emergencies and parents of day pupils are responsible for all normal medical arrangements, including treatment and examinations recommended by the Singapore Area Schools Medical Officer, through their own medical centres. The Sanatorium is essentially provided as a Medical Centre for the Boarders.